


Lost in Translation

by Winters_Angel



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: A shock to us all, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alador you are no better, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Bullying, Child Abuse, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, F/F, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Good Parent Camila Noceda, Hurt/Comfort, I guess this is set in Australia now... sorry?, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mental Health Issues, Mentor Eda Clawthorne, No smut... just no, Odalia I swear I-, Panic Attacks, Sibling Bonding, Swearing, The Blight's can't parent, Underage Drinking, Well closer to rivals, for like one chapter and it's a mistake, just briefly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29197257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winters_Angel/pseuds/Winters_Angel
Summary: Luz always thought she knew everything there was to know about Amity Blight. Quiet, rich, intelligent, cold. Well, she thought she did. Until that one moment.And now everything was great. She has Willow and Gus...and Boscha. She has her mother, and they're closer than ever...and she has the guilt over Eda. She has Amity all figured out. Until she doesn't. And now she's her English tutor. But everything was going to be fine.Right?
Relationships: Alador Blight & Amity Blight, Amity Blight & Boscha & Skara, Amity Blight & Braxas, Amity Blight & Camila Noceda, Amity Blight & Edric Blight & Emira Blight, Amity Blight & Gus Porter, Amity Blight & Lilith Clawthorne, Amity Blight & Odalia Blight, Amity Blight & Willow Park, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Camila Noceda & Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda, Gus Porter & Perry Porter, Luz Noceda & Gus Porter, Luz Noceda & Willow Park, Willow Park & Willow Park's Fathers
Comments: 51
Kudos: 123





	1. Distractions and studying

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome. This is my second fanfic. I'm really sorry for the length of this but I promise the other chapters will be longer. I also know this is not and original Idea by any means but I wanted to try my hand at it. Thank you for your patients I'll see you at the end.
> 
> (This is also known as the high school tutoring/found family fic no one asked for. FT: Winter can't speak Spanish and everything is Australian because I can't set things in America apparently.)

The words blurred together, black ink swirling and blending into unreadable lines. Luz sighed, closing her textbook before turning to face the ceiling. She had been trying and failing to read the same passage for 20 minutes, only taking in random sentences before instantly forgetting and re-reading the whole thing. Luz had spent the time in class they had been allocated for the reading by drawing on the sides of her shoes. A bright display of orange, magenta and blue blossoming across the surface. And while she had made good headway in completely covering the sides of her ages-old white sneakers in sharpie, she had added to her homework load.

Laying on her back, she lifted her legs up to the ceiling, admiring the sunburst design on the heel on her left shoe. The hem of her jeans fell down, exposing her rumpled socks and the beginning of her ankle, a new scrap from that day's lunch just visible. Letting her legs fall down to the bed, she let out a groan, homework was clearly going well. She had to stop letting her imagination getting the best of her. To stop drawing Azura in the margins on her book and start taking notes. If only she could just focus.

It was just hard to do the work when everything else drew her attention. Whether that be the sun glaring through the window, fighting against the AC to keep her cool. The back of Boscha's bright red hair scraped up in a tight bun. Or the softly falling leaves from outside the window, appearing like stained glass as the sun passed through them, the thin veins of the leaf's a clear pattern in the wash of green. Maybe she shouldn't sit by the window. In theory, she could just… not do the reading, it wouldn't be that disastrous, and the teacher knew by now not to call on her. But that also meant getting upstaged by Amity again, and there was no way on earth she would let that happen.

Amity Blight. With her pin-straight auburn hair, eye's that were too close to gold to be real and seemingly flawless skin, she was the most confusing person Luz had ever met. At first glance, she seemed quite simple. Stuck up rich kid, teacher's pet, friends with all the right kind of people, thinks all the right kind of things. Her uniform always immaculate. The kind of kid you just know will grow up to be a lawyer or a doctor. On the rare times she and Amity had talked, it had been like having a conversation with a wall of ice. That's what people saw her as. Ice queen. Quiet, reserved, studious, and equipped with enough power to destroy your life.

She wasn't like Boscha. Openly cruel, a dangerously good manipulator, almost dependent on her school popularity. Amity almost didn't seem to care if she was liked or not, openly insulting Boscha in public and raining her in if she went too far. She wasn't nice by any means, but she was… reasonable. She was condescending and occasionally cruel, but she knew when to stop. She was like a spider, if you didn't bother her, she wouldn't bother you. Most of the time. And that's all she was to most people. Rich, intelligent, mean. And Luz would have thought so too if it wasn't for that one moment.

The chime of her phone brought her out of her thoughts, a message lighting up her scream. With an exaggerated sigh, she rolled on to her stomach and opened her messages.

Willow:  
_Hey, me and Gus are meeting up at the park tomorrow. Want to come?_

Luz smiled, typing out her response.

Luz:  
_Sure, we can celebrate our hard-earned weekend_.

Willow:  
_You are so dramatic_

Luz:  
_And that's why you love me._

Willow:  
_Yeah, yeah. So, we'll meet at the front gate at 3? You don't have 4th period, do you?_

Luz:  
_Nope, that was today._

Willow:  
_Good, well see you there._

Luz  
_Yep, c u_

Luz checked the time before shutting her phone down 10:00 PM. Gently throwing her phone to her pillow, she slid off her bed, running her hand through her hair in an attempt to neaten it. Heading downstairs she opened the fridge, looking for the leftovers from last night. Finding them, she left half for her mum and through them in the microwave to warm, retreating back into her thoughts.

She knew her mum wouldn't be home before she went to bed, although she might still be awake. Things had settled into a nice routine recently. She knew taking up the night shift had been hard on her mum so she had done all she could to help. Making dinner when she could, making sure she had everything done for school that she needed to (even if that one was questionable sometimes). And above all, not to do anything that would require her mum getting a call from school.

Their relationship had been slowly improving since what was known as 'the fight'. A big argument when she was 14 about whether or not she would go to 'think inside the box' summer camp. She could see where her mum was coming from, really, she could. She didn't have any friends, didn't follow the rules, didn't think things through. And normally she would have just gone along with it if only to make things easier on her mum but… she just couldn't. She refused to sacrifice her creativity, and she refused to let her classmates win. She wasn't stupid, she wasn't a freak, and she didn't need to be fixed. And above all, her mother didn't think so either. Everything had culminated in an hour-long screaming match that had unearthed just how much they didn't understand each other. Luz had finally come clean about the bullying that had been going on for years. Her mum had said how much she worried she wasn't enough for her, and it had ended with them crying into each other's arms in the middle of the living room.

After that, some compromises had been made. Camp was off the table be Camila agreed that maybe a fresh start was a good idea and the next term Luz had started Hexside Academy. And everything had fallen into place. She had met Willow and Gus, and while they were, admittedly, some of her only friends, she wouldn't trade them for the world. Meeting Boscha hadn't been great. And with her relentless bullying of Willow and recently her, she was starting to become a problem, but she was happy. She had friends and was enjoying her life. The compromise had also included her getting a job, for responsibility. And while hesitant at first, she had ended up loving it. She worked at a small café in the urban village near school. And, over the year and a half she had worked there had grown incredibly close with the owner, Eda. She had become like a second mother to her. Helping her with homework, talking to her about her day, just being there.

And if guilt sometimes overtook her when spending time with Eda because she felt she was replacing her mum, well no one needed to know that. If Boscha sometimes got to her more then she'd like to admit it wasn't something she needed to share. And if school was getting a little too hard, that was no one else's concern. Especially not her mums. Things were good. She would not mess it up again. She would not be the one to open that rift.

She was once again pulled from her thoughts by the ping of the microwave. Removing her meal and heading to the couch, she flicked the TV on, flicking through channels and getting lost in the pointless white noise. She was fine, everything was fine. She would eat, finish the reading and then go to sleep. Tomorrow was Friday, just one more day before the weekend, plus she was meeting Willow and Gus after school. And when she got the results of her English quiz back, she would pass and the hours of working through headaches and sleepless nights would be worth it. Willow would be raving about some new plant she'd been researching. Gus would talk for hours about the news article his dad was working on. Boscha would leave them alone and Amity…Amity would be Amity. Intelligent, rich, cold, and quiet. And Luz would forget about everything else. Because everything was going to be fine.

Right?


	2. Crash and Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an awful beginning to the day, Luz gets her English test back and the results are… less than Ideal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back. Most updates won't come this fast I just really needed to redeem myself after... whatever that first chapter was. More notes at the end. Let's go.

Luz rushed into the school building, cursing under her breath. She was late, she was so late. After going to bed way to late last night, (And not finishing the reading). She had forgotten to set her alarm. Leading to her rushing and being late for the bus, which lead to her running full sprint into the school building, papers flying everywhere. Sweat dripped down her back as she stumbled into the school building, the AC like a freezing blanket after the heat of the march sun outside. Stopping momentarily to catch her breath, she turned to check the time. 9:20. Yep late. Panting heavily, she turned and made her way to the admin block, walking fast while trying to catch her breath. 

Two things it seems that should not be done at the same time. As she crashed into someone carrying a load of glass beakers the second she turned the corner, a curtain of silken hair flashing in her face. Horror and embarrassment filled her as the girl crashed to the ground, the beakers rolling and clinking in there container. Luz reached out to help, an apology on her lips when the girl spoke.  


"You idiot! Is it so hard to watch where you're going?" Luz wanted to sink into the floor. Amity Blight. She had just crashed into Amity Blight.  


"I'm so so sorry. Are you okay?" She asked, reaching a hand out to her.  


"I'm fine I-" Amity said, cutting herself off as they made eye contact. Her expression of slight annoyance morphing into a pointed glare.  


"Oh, it's you. Late again, I assume." She snapped, batting Luz's hand away before standing up herself. Luz felt a rush of indignance as she watched Amity smooth the skirt of her uniform, insuring the pleats where still in place.  


"And what makes you think that." She said, crossing her arms. The more she looked at Amity, the more self-conscious she felt. Even after just being knocked over, she still looked immaculate, not a hair out of place. While Luz…today was an off day. Amity raised her eyebrows at the question. Looking from her unbrushed hair to the unironed skirt, (another thing she was meant to do last night) before meeting her eye's again.  


"Basic observation, besides, your reputation proceeds you." She said a small smirk gracing her lips. Those golden eyes sweeping over her in judgment.

Luz glared at her, heat flooding her cheeks.  


"And what's that supposed to mean," she said, tilting her chin up. Sure, she may look like a walking disaster, but she wasn't going to let Amity Blight judge her for it. Amity glared back. Any semblance of a smile was long gone.  


"It means you can't arrive on time to save your life. Now, will you get out of my way? You're lucky none of these beakers broke." Amity bent down, picking up the box of glass test tubes and beakers, examining each one carefully before shifting the box in her arms. Luz's anger waned slightly. Sure, Amity was a jerk, but it was technically her fault, and if she'd broken the equipment, she could have gotten her in real trouble.  


"Look I'm sorry for running into you. Are you okay?" Amity softened, a flash of vulnerability crossing her face before the indifferent front was back. 

"I'm fine. Just…. Just leave me alone. I'm going to be in trouble enough as it is." Luz's stomach twisted. She knew it wasn't an unfair request. This wasn't her first mistake in her and Amity's relationship, but it still hurt. As Amity walked passed her down the hall, she called after.  


"Look I really didn't mean-" Amity cut her off.  


"Just leave it." She said, not even turning around. Luz found her eye's transfixed of the gossamer strains of hair falling neatly down her back. The harsh fluorescent light of the hall making it look almost ginger as she turned the corner. Luz sighed, running her fingers through her hair.  


"Well, that could have gone better," she muttered, heading off to first period.

****************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Walking down to the eating area, Luz was already counting down the minutes until 3 o'clock. Her lateness had earned her a lecture from the teacher and a smug look from Boscha. And with the addition of not having Willow or Gus in her class and the morning had been a bust. Moving over to their bench, Luz sat down, getting out her food and waiting for Gus and Willow to arrive. She didn't have to wait long, however, as she saw Willow rushing towards her, moving through the crowd of students exiting from N block.

"Hi, Luz," she called. Setting her bag on the table as she sat down, her hair bouncing around her face. Luz smiled at the red flush of Willow's cheeks, probably just from the heat, but it was nice to see her friend happy. Speaking of friends.  


"Hey Willow, where's Gus? You have first period with him, right?" She asked, taking a bite of her lunch. Willow took a sip from her water bottle, holding up her hand till she was finished.  


"He has journalism club on Fridays now. Remember? They changed the day." Finishing with her water, she put in back in her bag, taking out her lunch box. Luz nodded, vaguely remembering Gus complaining about a date change.  


"Right, I remember, he told us that yesterday." Willow nodded, swallowing before talking again.  


"So how was your first lesson?" Luz groaned, tilting her head upwards while leaning back in her seat. Willow laughed.  


"That bad, huh?" Luz smiled despite herself, facing Willow again.  


"Oh, it was just great, I one) arrived late two) got a lecture from the teacher and three) had to sit next to Boscha all lesson. Willow grimaced.  


"Yikes, well that sounds fun." Luz let out a laugh, more of frustration than anything else. 

"Ha Ha, what about you. It was Chem right. You said you were doing an experiment today." Willow's face lit up.  


"Oh my god that right I meant to tell you, it was so weird. So, we were doing experiments. And of course, Amity volunteers to go get the supplies and normally she always comes back super fast to empress the teacher. Right?" Luz fought to keep her face calm; she had a horrible idea of where this was going.  


"Right," she said, biting her lip. Maybe she was wrong, maybe it was all a big misunderstanding maybe-  


"Well, today she took like 15 minutes, and when she got back, all the equipment was messed up. The teacher held her back after class for it." Maybe she should stop hoping for things. 

For the second time that day, Luz wanted to sink into the floor. She really couldn't stop getting Amity in trouble, could she? Sure, the two of them had never liked each other, they were enemies. Well, Amity was her enemy. Amity just didn't seem to like people, but she had always had a special kind of animosity towards Luz. But…there had always been something deeper. A grudging respect for each other's talents. The knowledge that, deep down, they were never as bad as they made them out to be. And yet she kept messing up around her. It was never on purpose. It was just really, really, _really_ bad luck. But it would be fine. Amity was tough, she could handle a lecture from a teacher. Besides, she had English with her in 4th period. She could apologise then and- 

"Luz you there?" Willow said, eyebrows raised. Luz smiled sheepishly. She hadn't heard a word Willow had said.  


"What? Yeah, sorry just zoned out a little." Understatement, but it didn't really matter. Willow looked at her sceptically but let it slide.  


"Okay, well what do you want to do after school? We could go get some ice-cream. It's so hot. I think we deserve it." Luz grinned.  


"Yeah, Ice cream sounds great. Then we can catch the bus to the park. The one with the big fountain." It was their favourite meeting place. Right next to a public water fountain and surrounded by thick trees providing shade in the summer heat.

"Yes! Brilliant plan. I'll tell Gus next lesson."  


"I still don't think it's fair you two have almost all your classes together", Luz said, crossing her arms. Willow tilted her head to the side, looking very unimpressed.  


"Yeah, and who's fault is that? You think trying to sign up for every class isn't going to mess up your timetable?" Willow smirked; her eyebrows raised. Luz gasped in mock indignation.  


"I- shut up." She said a smile escaping her. Willow's grin just widened as she took another sip of water.  


"You know I'm right." She said, tucking her water bottle back in her bag.  


"Yes, and that's why I hate it." Laughing, Luz checked her watch again. 10 minutes left of break. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad. She may not see Gus today, but she would this afternoon. She had Willow in English and 10 more minutes before she had to fumble through math. It'll be fine. Everything would be fine. 

****************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

"You'll be fine, you studied for weeks. You're going to pass." Willow said, patting her on the shoulder. Luz only nodded, staring down at her desk, hands clenched together. Miss Walker was going around, handing back the quiz they had done last lesson. And Luz was panicking. At wasn't that she didn't like English, she loved it. She loved writing and poetry, putting her heart and soul into her work. Letting all her problems melt away with just a few taps on a keyboard. She just… couldn't do the whole class thing. Or the gramma thing. She wanted to write! Not study writers from 200 years ago. She wanted to express herself, not look at how people in the past made a description of the wind last 20 pages.  


The test wasn't _really_ important. It was more of a marker. A way of seeing how much everyone knew. But Luz was determined to pass. She had studied for hours, looking at different writing genres and techniques. But she didn't know if it was good enough. She felt okay after completing it, but overnight all her confidence had gone. She felt guilty as Willow reassured her for what had to have been the tenth time that lesson. She just knew that if she did too badly, she risked her mum getting involved.  


"I know, I know I just… I don't want her to email my mum." She whispered as Miss Walker handed back the front row's papers. Willow smiled sympathetically. 

"It'll be fine, Luz. Even if you don't do well, I'm sure she won't email her." Luz knew she was probably right. Miss Walker may not be her favourite teacher, but she was reasonable. Still, she couldn't help but worry. 

"I hope your right." Luz could see Willow was about to say more when Miss walker appeared in front of them, her expression unreadable. "Well done Willow, you're tracking nicely." She said, putting Willow's 79 down in front of her.  


"Willow!" Luz shrieked, throwing her arms around Willow's shoulders. She brushed her off, but Luz could tell she was pleased. Her mood sobered, however, when Miss walker turned to her.  


"Luz, if you could stay after class for me." She said, placing down her paper, the back facing her. Luz's breath hitched as she reached to turn it over, her heart pounding in her ears.  
38.  
38%.  
She had gotten 38%.  
She had failed.  
Miserably.

Luz groaned. Berrying her head in her hands. Tears pricking her eyes. She had never done so badly on a test before. Ever. Willow started rubbing her back, moving her hand in soothing, circular motions.  


"What did you get?" She asked gently, her voice unsure. Luz sat up, rubbing her eyes.  


"I-," She started, unsure of what to say. Fortunately, she didn't have to respond.  


"Shit," came a voice from in front of her. Luz turned her head sharply to see Amity covering her mouth, looking horrified. Her paper sitting on her desk. Willow and Luz turned to look at each other simultaneously identical expressions of shock on their faces. Amity Blight. Swearing. In class, no less. Apparently, this was just as shocking to Boscha.  


"Did you just swear Blight? What did you get?" Boscha said, snatching Amity's paper from her desk. After a second she let out a snort, throwing it back.  


"An 87! Seriously. You're so dramatic." Amity, however, didn't seem so reassured. Sinking down in her seat, shaking her head.  


"I'm dead, I'm actually dead", She whispered, covering her face with her hands. 

Luz felt annoyance bubbling up in her. An 87. That still wasn't good enough for her? She knew Amity was a perfectionist but come on. Luz looked back down at her 38, turning to Willow.  
"Amity got an 87 And she's still upset? What's wrong with her." Willow shrugged, forcing her gaze away from Amity and Boscha as they bickered quietly.  


"Who knows, who cares. No one knows what goes on in her head. I don't even think she does." On that point, Willow was probably right. Luz had never been able to understand Amity. She probably never would. Willow cleared her throat bringing Luz's attention back to her.

"So, what did you get." She asked again, pointing to Luz's paper. Turned back around on her desk. Luz's face flushed, embarrassment filling her.  


"I um… I, here." She said, holding out the paper. Willow took it, turning at around slowly.  


"Oh well, um. It's…You, you could have done worse." She offered. Luz let out a huff of irritation. She appreciated the attempt at optimism, but she just wasn't in the mood.  


"How?" She asked, taking it back. Willow shrugged helplessly  


"I- look I'm trying here." She said just as the bell rang. Instantly students began packing up, a few already out the classroom door.  


"Me and Gus will meet you by the music block okay?" Willow said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Luz just nodded, putting her head back on the desk. With one last pat on her shoulder Willow left. 

Luz waited until the mad rush of students had left before lifting her head. Now it was just her, Miss Walker writing something at her desk and Amity and Boscha hanging at the door. As she bent down to grab her bag, Miss Walker looked up, calling out to Amity as she was exiting the classroom.  


"Amity, can you hang back for a moment?" Amity whipped around, eyes wide, she bit her lip.  


"O-of course," she stuttered, walking over to her desk.  


"Luz, come up here please." Miss Walker called, motioning her towards the front of the classroom. Luz sighed, slinging her bag over her shoulder and walking up to Amity and Miss Walker. Miss Walker smiled, coming around from the back of her desk to face them. 

"So, I just want to start by saying you're not in any trouble. I just want to talk to you. Okay?" She said. Luz and Amity nodded, the latter relaxing significantly at the reassurance she wasn't in trouble. Miss Walker smiled.  


"Good. So, I think it's safe to say you were both a little disappointed in your marks today." Luz looked at the floor, shame flooding her once again, but Amity spoke up.  


"Yes, miss about that I-" She started, but Miss Walker cut her off.  


"No Amity there is no opportunity for a retake." She said. Amity looked desperate, biting her lip, her fists clenched.  


"But if you would just give me a chance I-" She begged, frustration leaking into her tone as she was cut off again.  


"Amity let me talk please." Miss Walker said, holding her hand up. Amity paled, lowering her head.  


"Sorry, miss," she whispered. Her voice barely audible.

"It's okay, but that's what I wanted to talk to you two about. You both show amazing promise in English, and I can see you both have a real passion for it." Luz flushed at the compliment, and she swore she saw Amity's cheeks pink a bit as well.  


"Amity, you are an amazing technical writer, your characters are beautiful, the relationships are so real. Your style is developed, and your vocabulary through the roof." Miss Walker said, smiling warmly at her. Jealousy writhed in Luz's stomach, but she had to admit it was true. She had only seen snippets of Amity's writing before, but that was all she really needed to. The girl was amazing.  


"But," Miss Walker continued.  
"There's something missing. It's not enough to just follow the guidelines anymore, you're better than that. I know you have that something, I've seen your old writing. You just have to find it again." Amity, who had finally lifted her head nodded gently, blood flowing to her cheeks, her fists clenched. 

Miss Walker turned to her.  


"And Luz, I can see how much you love this. I can sense it through the page. Your stories have such a, a vulnerability to them. Your style is so unique. So, you. It's a true gift." Something I don't see much, and you have the potential to be a phenomenal writer." Luz felt pride bubbling up inside her but knew not to get excited. She could see a 'but' coming.  


"But you are just not keeping up with the classwork." And there it was. Luz's earlier frustrations rose up again.  


"I know miss, and I can do better I-" Miss Walker raised her hand up. A sign to stop  


"Luz," she said, eyebrows raised. Luz folded back into herself. Not meeting her eyes.  


"Sorry," she muttered, looking off to the side. Miss Walker sighed. 

"Again, it's fine. But the reason I asked you both to hang back is I have, let's say, a proposition for you both. Amity I know you've been meaning to start tutoring students. Well, I have your first client." Both Luz and Amity froze. Turning to face each other before looking back at Miss Walker. Luz was the first to speak.  


"Wait, so you want Amity to tutor me?" She asked. Miss Walker bit her lip, leaning back against her desk.

"Kind of. I want you two to work together, to help each other in the areas you lack. Amity will help you improve in class and with the more technical side of writing, and I want you to help her loosen up a bit. Have some fun with English again." Luz wanted to scream. This was not happening; this was _not happening._ Her and Amity. Working together. _Helping_ each other. They couldn't have a conversation without snapping at each other's throats. And, judging by Amity's horrified expression, she wasn't too keen on the idea either.  


"And what happens if I don't agree", Luz asked, looking from Miss Walker to Amity.  


"Yeah, no offence Miss but I really don't think either of us want to do this", Amity said, readjusting her bag on her shoulder. Miss Walker sighed once again. Looking them dead in the eye.

"Look I know you two don't exactly get along. But this is less of an idea and more of an order." She turned to face Luz directly. 

"Luz I'll be honest. This is maybe your only chance at passing the unit," Luz felt lick the floor had been ripped from under her. Not pass. That meant fail. That meant-. Her spiralling thoughts were cut off as Miss Walker turned to face Amity. 

"And Amity, this is the only extra credit I can offer you this term." Amity's eye's widened, anger flooding her face.  


"Wait, what! No more extra credit, but I need it." She said desperation clear in her voice. Luz wondered, not for the first time, why Amity put so much pressure on herself. Miss Walker fixed Amity with a stern look.

"No, you don't. You're a smart girl Amity. You don't need the extra credit. And even if you did need it, I'm not sure if I'd give it to you. You're overworking yourself. It's not healthy." Amity looked like she was about to protest, but Luz stepped in.  


"I still don't see why I should do this. I can find a way to pass on my own." She said. It was a lie. She had no idea how to pass. But study sessions with Amity was the last place she'd want to be. 

A resigned of determined look came over Miss Walkers face.  
"I thought you might say that. And look, I can't force you, but, if you don't agree both of your parents will be informed of today's test results." 

She'd done it. Finally said the magic words. Luz felt panic claw at her at the very thought. Her mother finding out about that 38. Finding out Luz had lied when she said she was doing well in class. Just picturing her mother's face was enough for her to agree. Even if she didn't like Amity, she was very good at what she did. She could, not only get her passing but doing well. Miss Walker looked at them, regret and hope visible on her face.

"I'll do it," Luz said. Miss Walker smiled, leaning forward off her desk.  


"Brilliant, Amity?" She said. At the silence that followed, Luz turned to look at Amity. She had gone completely still. Her skin almost translucent she was so pale. Luz furrowed her brow in concern. That... wasn't normal. At the prompting look from Miss Walker Amity snapped out of…whatever that was and flicked her gaze from her to Luz.  


"Yes, yes, of course." She whispered before her gaze dropped to the ground again. With one last worried look at Amity, Miss Walker clapped her hands.  


"Excellent. Well, I'll leave you two to discuss and find a time to meet up. And I'll see you both on Monday." She said, pushing them out of the classroom before closing the door. Luz stood there, stunned. She had just agreed to study sessions with Amity fricking Blight. 

She really needed to think things through more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you did it. I hope you enjoyed it. Again, most chapter won't come so fast. I just really hated that first chapter. And again, like always, sorry for any spelling/ grammar mistakes. I'm doing my best. Also, no this is not a Luz/Willow fic. I just realised some passages came come across that way. But no. I just love their friendship so much I wanted to show what I think it would be like after knowing each other for a longer period of time. Comments always appreciated. I will see you all next time.


	3. Mind Games and Past Favours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a confrontation with Amity, Luz goes out with Gus and Willow, expecting a nice, calming afternoon out. Boscha has other plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back. Not that anyone reads these but hey. Hope you enjoy the chapter, as usually sorry for spelling, let's get on with it.  
> Also, CW: Bullying (specifically about weight), and referenced panic attack. Neither is graphic nor focused on, but I thought I'd worn anyway.

Luz stared blankly at the door of the classroom. What had she just agreed to? She didn't have time for a tutor and she doubted Amity would be very accommodating to her schedule. Plus, it would cut into the already limited time she spent with her mum. And then there was _telling her mum_. Saying she had been assigned a tutor was definitely better than having to confess she was failing. Still, it wouldn't be a _pleasant_ conversation. She knew her mum wouldn't judge her. She would most likely criticise herself for not being able to help her more. Which, in a way, would be even worse.

At a chime from her phone, Luz was shaken out of her thoughts, fishing it from her pocket she checked the message.

Willow:  
_How's it going?_

Luz bit her lip.

Luz:  
_I'll be there in 5_

Willow:  
_Kk._

With a sigh Luz slipped her phone back into her pocket. She could do this. She had to do this, for her mum's sake if nothing else. She was being dramatic. All she had to do was show up and maybe do a few worksheets, plus, she and Amity were in the same boat. Neither of them wanted to be doing this. And things with her mum would be…. awkward but if Amity got her passing it would all be worth it. With her confidence renewed she turned to face Amity only to find her still staring at the wall. 

"Um, Amity?" She said, taking a step closer. Amity jumped, her eyes darting around the room before coming to rest on Luz.  


"What?" She said, still slightly dazed. Luz frowned.  


"What's the plan?" She prompted. Amity stared blankly at her for a second before nodding.  


"Right," she said, smoothing out the pleats of her skirt before meeting her gaze.  


"Look. It's clear neither of us wants to do this, but we really don't have a choice." Luz gave a noncommittal shrug.  
"So, let's set some ground rules, shall we?" Luz nodded slowly wary of what 'ground rules' could mean for Amity.

"Good," Amity smiled. "First, you come to these sessions _on time_. You do the work _on time_ , and you finish the sessions _on time_." She said, emphasising the _on time_ in each phrase Luz scowled.  


"Hey, I'm not late for everything!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms. Amity merely raised her eyebrows. No doubt remembering that morning.  


"Is that a yes," she asked impatiently?  


"Yes," Luz muttered, looking at the floor.

"Good, now, you tell no one but Willow and Gus about this. And make sure they don't say anything." Luz's brow furrowed, looking back at Amity.  


"Why Willow and Gus, and what about my mum," she asked. She didn't think Amity's demands would be quite so specific. Amity sighed in annoyance, closing her eyes momentarily before glaring back at Luz.  


"I mean you were going to tell Willow and Gus everything no matter what I said. I don't see the point in trying to stop you. And tell your mum if you want. I don't see why you would but…" Amity trailed off, shrugging. Luz nodded once more before checking the time on her watch. 3:18. She really had to get to Willow and Gus soon, or they would start to worry.  


"Ok, So I come on time and keep it to myself. Anything else?" She asked. 

Amity paused for a moment, her expression losing its hardened edge.  


"Yes," she whispered, looking at Luz, an almost desperate look in her eyes.  
"You never tell anyone what happened." 

Luz froze, whatever she was expecting it wasn't that. She could have played dumb, asked what she was talking about but… she just couldn't. That moment had clearly impacted Amity as much as it had her. She had no clue what Amity had gained from it. But it had shown Luz a different side to Amity. A kinder side. It had completely turned her perceptions of her upside down, and no matter how much she tried. She couldn't forget it. If it hadn't been for that one moment, she would have written Amity off as what the rest of the school had. Rich, quite, intelligent, cold. If that hadn't happened, she would have stopped trying by now. Trying to bridge the gap, trying to understand. All while the girl in front of her was absolutely maddening. But it had happened. And here they were.

She sighed. "Amity look-"  


"You haven't. Have you? Told anyone?" Amity cut in, desperate and accusatory all at once. Luz grimaced, taking a step forward.  


"No, I haven't, but" she reached out for Amity's hand. Taking it gently in her's.  
"It's nothing to be ashamed of." She finished. Amity stared at her blankly, looking back and forth between Luz and her own hand, still holding Luz's. Luz just waited, holding her breath, maybe she'd done it. Broken through the walls of Amity Blight, that girl that, no matter how much she said she hated, (and she kind of did) also wanted to know better. Maybe during these study sessions, they would get to know each other, become friends. Maybe… 

Amity tore her hand away with a sharp gasp. A look of fury taking over her face. Maybe not.  


"It may not be for you! Ok, maybe you're ok with someone you've made an enemy of finding you mid panic attack on the bathroom floor. But I'm not!" She ranted, her jaw set. Luz opened her mouth the speak again, but Amity beat her to it 

"And not only did you find me like that, but you helped me? Yeah, I count that as something to be ashamed of." She said, turning to face the wall. 

Luz stood watching. _That wasn't what happened._ That day flashed before her eyes. Running from the classroom crying. Rushing into the bathroom, barely able to see. Nearly falling over someone. Going to apologise and finding Amity Blight hyperventilating on the floor. 

And then after. 

Her getting Amity to breathe, still crying herself. Amity handing her a small packet of tissues. Luz hugging her, sobbing into her shirt. Them staying like that until the bell rang. Until Amity pushed her away before running out the door. 

Was that really how she thought things went down. Luz decided to try one last time.  


"Amity…" she started, unsure of where she was going. But Amity interrupted again, calling over her shoulder as she walked down the hall.  


"Our first sessions tomorrow 4:00 PM. City library. We'll exchange numbers then. Don't be late" She turned that corner without looking back. Luz groaned, leaning back against the wall before sliding to the floor.

Maybe she should stop trying to see the best in people. She was never going to understand Amity. And Amity clearly didn't like her. Luz didn't like her much either, no matter how much she interested her. She should just forget. Amity clearly wanted her to. And even if she had never felt as close to anyone as she did in that moment. Maybe it would be best if she did. Everything would be alright.  
Maybe.

****************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Walking to the music block Luz closed her eyes for a second. It was nice being in the empty schoolyard. Everything felt so… still. The gentle breeze flowing through her, blowing her hair, short as it was, around her face. Taking a deep breath, she walked down the path to the music block, squinting her eyes against the harsh afternoon light. Walking closer, she saw them. Willow on her phone while Gus hung upside-down on the stair rail. Her face braking into a smile, Luz ran up to them.  


"Hey Guys," She said waving at them, Willow smiled, waving backing before sending off a final message on her phone. Gus's face lit up, and, after untangling himself from the rails, ran up to meet her. 

"Luz!" He laughed, throwing his arms around her. Luz smiled hugging him back.  


"Hey, how was journalism club," she said, stepping out of his embrace. Gus smiled, taking her hand and walking with her back towards Willow.  


"Good well except for this new guy, oh he's so full of it, he thinks he's the next big thing and-"  


"That sounds great Gus, but why don't you tell me _and Willow_." Luz interrupted. As much as she loved Gus's ramblings, she didn't need to hear it twice. Gus just shrugged.  


"Ok." As the two arrive by the steps, Willow slid her phone into her pocket. Turning her full attention to her friends. 

"So, Luz what did Miss Walker want?" she asked. Luz cringed she knew Willow would ask, but she didn't think it would be so soon.  


"Oh nothing," she replied, not meeting her gaze.  


"Luz, you can tell me, is she emailing your mum?" Willow persisted. Luz knew she was just worried, but her mum was the last thing she wanted to talk about.  


"No," Willow bit her lip, a look of confusion crossing her face.  


"Than what-"  


"Look I'll tell you at the park" Luz said, cutting her off. Willow looked as if she was about to reply when Gus spoke up.  


"Um, did I miss something? What are we talking about?" It was at times like this that Luz loved Gus more than anything else. He had the absolute best timing. 

"Miss Walker held Luz back after class, that's all," Willow said. Gus nodded.  


"Everything ok?" He asked," Luz sighed in frustration.  


"Yes!" she said. Well, more screamed. Gus took a step back, and Willow just raised her eyebrows. Her 'was that really necessary' look on. Luz bit her lip, feeling guilty.  


"Sorry I'm just tired. Let's get something to eat. Shall we." Gus smiled, offering her his hand. She took it, holding out her other hand to Willow. She accepted, and the three walked towards the exit. Luz smiled. Maybe this day could be saved after all. 

****************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

The trio sighed collectively as they entered the air-conditioned store. They had opted for 7/11 because A: it was close to the park and school and B: it had AC. Walking in, Willow smiled at the cashier as Luz and Gus made a beeline for the slushie machine. Willow followed them, a smile just gracing her lips.  


"I thought we were getting ice cream?" She said, crossing her arms. Luz grinned; her cup already half filled up with raspberry ice.  


"Lactose intolerant, remember?" she said, adding lime to the top before getting a lid.  


"Oh, right. Gus, how about you?" She said, moving over to the freezer.  


"I just wanted a slushie." He said, copying Luz's earlier rout of raspberry and lime. Willow smiled fondly, shaking her head.  


"Of course, we come here for Ice cream and get slushies. Of course, well looks like I'm on my own." Just as she reached into the freezer and pulled out a small tub of chocolate, a voice came from behind her. 

"Well, that shouldn't be new for you, should it?" All three turned their head to the voice. Boscha. Along with Skara and Amity. Boscha and Skara had taken their ties off, letting their hair down as well. Probably the second they left the school building. But Amity remained the same, her hair in its perfect ponytail, her tie still straight.  


"Hi, Boscha", Willow said tentatively, looking over at the cashier. Or attempting to, as the shelves blocked her from sight. Boscha walked over to her, snatching the ice cream from her hands.  


"I'd lay off the ice cream if I were you Willow, that uniforms looking a bit tight." She said, a sweet smile plastered on her face. 

Willow's eyes widened as Boscha threw the tub to Skara. She caught it, looking unsure. But at a glare from Boscha, she chimed in.  


"Yeah, it's not like you need it." She said, throwing it back to Boscha. Willow closed her eyes for a second, counting to ten under her breath before refocusing on Boscha.  


"Boscha. I'm only going to ask this once. Leave me alone." She said, her voice quiet, Luz looked at Amity and Skara. Skara was standing nervously behind Boscha, biting her nails. While Amity was leaning against the wall, her forehead pressed to the window.  


"What? We're just looking out for you." Boscha said, the false sweetness in her tone remaining. Luz balled her fists. She was tired of Boscha. This was meant to be a nice, calm afternoon out with her friends. Not another round of Boscha's mind games. 

"Stop." She said, moving to stand next to Willow. Gus stayed at the slushie machine, his eyes flicking from Amity and Skara to Willow and Luz to Boscha. Not moving. Boscha smirked, moving closer.  


"Sorry, what was that? I don't speak to re-"  


"Just shut up!" Amity screamed, turning away from the window. She glared as everyone stared at her. Boscha looked even looked… hurt? 

"Amity?" she whispered. Amity's glare didn't soften.  


"Just shut up already. You can't go two seconds without insulting someone, it's exhausting." Luz looked from Willow to Gus trying to gauge their reactions. Gus was looking from Amity to Boscha, his expression unreadable. While Willow looked directly at Amity, a mix of anger, hurt, and reproach on her face. Boscha walked up to Amity, smirking slightly.  


"So, what you're on their side now?" she said, stopping centimetres away from her face. After a few seconds of unbroken scrutiny Amity stepped away. All her energy seaming to have drained away.  


"No, I just- I can't deal with anything else today. I'm going home, have fun in third grade Boscha." She said, ripping the ice cream tub, forgotten in the argument, from Boscha and handing it back to Willow.  


"Eat it. And enjoy it. That uniform doesn't flatter anyone." She said, walking to the door. 

"Amity wait," Boscha called out. Amity paused but didn't turn around.  
"Text me later?" she asked, her voice small. Amity didn't turn to face her, but her shoulders relaxed slightly.  


"I… fine." She said, leaving the store. Skara walked up to Boscha slowly, as if approaching a ticking bomb.  


"Um, Boscha?" She whispers, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Boscha tore her eyes away from the door and back to Skara.  


"Right, let's go." She said, heading to the exit. Luz, Willow, and Gus watched as they left. The door falling shut behind them.

"We should probably go to", Gus said, pulling out some coins and heading to the counter.  


"Yeah..." Luz replied, walking up with him. Willow followed, not saying anything. But Luz noted that the ice cream was returned to the freezer. 

****************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

The afternoon sun, flowing through the leaves above left a speckled collage of light on the patchy grass as they arrived at the fountain. The light breeze gently rustling the branches and leaves above. Luz and Gus walked over to the biggest tree, letting their bags fall at the base before sitting next to them. Willow, however, walked over to the edge of the fountain. An enormous stone facet of the park, often filled with ducks. The impressive spirals and arks of the water in the middle the source of several drawings in Luz's sketchbook. Willow took off her shoes and socks before turning her back to them and letting her feet just grace the water's surface. Luz studied Willow for a moment, watching the wind blow her curly black bob back and forth, back and forth, back and- Luz sighed, leaning her head back against the tree. 

The bus ride to the park had been… awkward, to say the least. Willow had been quiet the whole time, despite Gus's attempts at conversation and Luz, Luz was just tired. The day had been long, and all she wanted was a nice afternoon out. Taking one last sip of her slushie, she stood up, throwing the empty cup in the bin before heading over to Willow. Gus rising and going with her. Luz and Gus took their shoes off, sitting on either side of Willow as she stared, eyes glazed into the rippling water.  


"Willow?" Luz whispered, taking one of her hands. Willow's grip tightened.  


"I can't stand that girl," she said, her voice low. Luz bit her lip. This was the part she hated most about Boscha's games. It wasn't the insult or the pseudo sweet tone. It was the aftermath, the feeling of hopelessness that washed over her seeing the people she loved hurt. 

"I know, she's awful," she said. Willow leant into her, laying her head on Luz's shoulder.  


"She's just- I can't take much more of this." Luz sighed again, squeezing Willows hand.  


"Willow, it's ok", Gus said, taking Willow's other hand. "Boscha doesn't matter. She's not here now. Don't waste your energy caring about her. She's not worth it." Willow and Luz both turned to him in surprise.  


"When did you get so wise?" Willow said, a faint smile pulling at her lips. Gus smirked, splashing Willow.  


"Oh, ye of little faith." He said. Willow grinned, splashing him back. Luz smiled, she had to admire his strategy, distraction seemed to work best after a Boscha incident. Noted.

The peaceful afternoon was soon disrupted as the playful splashes turned into a full-on water fight. All three took off their ties, dunking them in the water before hitting each other with them. Willow and Luz's hair lay plastered to their face and Gus ran around in circles letting handfuls of water fall around him. The trio were laughing like idiots, ignoring the stares and odd glances from passers-by. Mid battel Luz took a step back, admiring her friends. Willow was filling up her empty lunch container with water and attempting to dump it on Gus's head. While Gus was laughing hysterically, falling to the ground as Willow tipped the container, the water splashing down the side of his face. 

Luz smiled. It was at times like this that she truly believed the lie she told herself. That everything would be fine. Rationally she knew there was no guarantee but, right now she could ignore that. Because she was here, happy and laughing, with two of the people she loved most in the world. And they were happy, her mum was happy. She would see Amity tomorrow, and everything would be fine. She would get her passing, and maybe they could come to an understanding. She had work with Eda that day after, and she could finely catch up with her again. So, while she may not fully believe it. Just being there, splashing and soaking wet, laughing hysterically with her two best friends. She didn't question herself as the familiar phrase crossed her mind. Everything would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You've made it! Next chapter should be soon as it was meant to be part of this one. It just got to long. I didn't tag this as slow burn as Luz and Amity get together quite a bit before the end (Spoilers) So if it seems like that then sorry I just… can't shut up. It also won't always be from Luz's POV. Every few chapters we'll get a catch-up chapter with Willow, Gus and Amity. I should really stop spoiling my own story shouldn't I. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.


	4. Surprises and The Things We Don’t Talk About.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Luz tells Willow and Gus about her new study partner, they have some surprising reactions. And a talk with her mum puts her in a lighter mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, so this chapter was impossible. The first two scenes were meant to go in the last chapter, but it got too long. And the last scene was meant to be the first one in this chapter, and there was another scene I had to cut, and there were another few things that got moved and I-. All this to say if the pacing is off or the chapters ends in weird spots, that’s why. Also, Camila gets introduced in this one and that…. scares me. I don’t know Spanish.

As the sunset over the park and the trees became a wash of soft orange and gentle pinks, the trio calmed their fight. Collapsing under the tree next to their bags, still laughing.  


"God, we really are children aren’t we," said Willow squeezing out the remaining water from her hair. Gus smiled, moving to sit opposite Willow and Luz.  


"We're allowed to be. I'm only 14, and you guys just turned 16. We have plenty of time before we're adults." Luz grinned, throwing her arm around Willow's shoulder.  


"Gus is right, I say, we be kids for as long as we can." Willow let out a laugh, playfully shoving Luz's arm off her. Luz settled back against the tree, resting her elbows on her knees.  


"You're right; you're both right." Luz smiled, looking out at the kids playing over at the equipment. She remembered when she was that young, that innocent. Maybe she still was. But maybe that wasn't a bad thing. She could be more mature, experience more of the world without losing the joy of it. 

"So, Luz, what did happen with Miss Walker?" said Willow, braking the small lull in the conversation. Luz groaned, leaning her head back against the tree.  


"I'm not getting out of this. Am I?" she said, looking to Gus. He just shook his head, fighting a small grin. She turned to Willow, who simply smiled.  


"Nope." With an exaggerated sigh, Luz gave in.  


"Fine! She, and don’t freak out." Luz said, directing it mostly at Willow. She nodded, gesturing for Luz to continue. And taking a deep breath, she did.  


"She assigned Amity as my English tutor." Luz braced herself for their reactions. Gus would be fine, but Willow-  


"SHE WHAT!" Luz winced. That was exactly the kind of reaction she hadn't wanted. 

Luz knew Willow and Amity had a history. What it was, she had no idea, and she knew better than to ask. All she knew was something had happened between them when they were younger and Willow- no matter what she liked to say, was not over it. She had asked Gus about it once, but he knew no more than she did. He had suggested, however, that Willow was almost embarrassed to still care. Ashamed she hadn't gotten over it. Luz didn't know, and if Willow didn't want her to she had no right to. But telling Willow she and Amity would be studying together was not something she had been _excited_ for. Willow was generally very good at pushing down and hiding her problems. Not a _good_ skill to have and something she was far too adept at for Luz's liking. But Amity was the one nerve you just shouldn't hit.  
Luz turned to face her. Willow looked at her eyebrows raised, leaning forward slightly.  


"I know, I know. But she threatened to Email mum if I said no." She said. Luz looked to Gus but couldn't read his face.  


"So, she's making you spend time with Amity." He said slowly as if clarifying. Luz bit her lip.  


"Yeah, pretty much."

Willow sat back, looking stunned.  


"Ok, now I see why you didn't want to talk about it. Yikes. I'd rather take advanced Math all year." She said, wrinkling her nose.  


"I still don’t know how you're so good at biology _and_ chemistry, and yet you can't do math to save your life," Gus interjected.  


"Neither do I, Gus, but that’s not the point. Why would she put you with Amity?" Willow said the girl's name like it were poison, her ire probably fuelled by the afternoon's events. Luz shrugged.  


"She's a straight-A student. I may not like her, but she can get my grades up." Willow muttered something under her breath, falling back against the tree.  


"I still don't like it," she said, crossing her arms. Luz shifted over, coming to sit next to her.  


"Neither do I." She said, leaning her head on Willow's shoulder. The three were quiet for a moment. Gus playing with the grass, Willow seemingly lost in thought and Luz watching the children once again. 

After around a minute of silence, Willow spoke again. Shifting slightly, she dislodged Luz's head.  


"But why would Amity agree to it? She hates you. She hates everyone." She said, brows furrowed.  


"Something about this being her only extra credit," Luz said, reaching into her bag for some water.  


"Of course, it would be something to benefit her," Willow muttered, probably to herself, but Luz caught it anyway.  


"Gus, what do you think. You’ve been awfully quiet." Gus froze as Willow and Luz trained their attention on him. Leaving the grass he was playing with alone, he turned to meet their gaze.

"Oh, I guess it's bad?" He said, sounding unsure. Willow raised her eyebrows.  


You 'guess its bad.' Really?" Gus bit his lip, looking at the ground again.  


"Look, I- " he paused as if thinking of how to phrase his thought before looking back up.  


"Have you ever thought, Amity's not as bad as she seems?" He paused again, looking anywhere but at Willow. Luz frowned. Gus defending Amity? As far as she knew, they'd never even spoken to each other. Willow looked just as confused. Moving over to Gus, she put her hand on his forehead.  


"Are you feeling ok?" She asked. Gus swotted her hand away.  


"Willow, I'm serious," he said, leaning back onto his hands. 

"Sure, she can be a bit-"  


"Mean." Willow cut him off, crossing her arms. Gus frowned.  


" _Cold._ But you never know?" He finished, shrugging. Willow shook her head.  


"Yes, I do. Amity isn't complicated, Gus. She's mean, she's arrogant, and she's shallow. Sure, maybe sometimes she'll step in if Boscha goes too far, but she'll always stay friends with her. She's a high school mean girl. There isn't any more to her than that. Right Luz?" She said, pointing to Luz at the end of her rant.  


"What," Luz said.  


"Oh yeah. Right." She said. Remembering Amity's arms around her. The two forgetting any problems they had with each other for that one moment. That single second where a different Amity could be seen.  


"Nothing more." Willow turned to Gus  


"See?" Gus leaned forward again, holding his hands up in surrender.  


"Ok, ok, I'll admit when I'm beat just, go into this with an open mind." He said, looking at Luz. 

Just as she could see Willow about to interject again, she spoke first.  


"Look, can we…. Not talk about Amity right now." Willow bit the inside of her cheek, clearly not happy but nodded. Returning to her spot next to Luz. Smiling, Luz directed her next question to Gus.  


"Now tell me about that guy in journalism club. What's his name… Mark?" she asked. Gus's eyes lit up, always ecstatic to be asked about anything journalism or reporting related.  


"Matt? Oh, he's so annoying so-" Luz faded in and out of the rest of the afternoon's conversation. Looking from Willow, gaining her positive mood back as the evening wore on. To Gus, in his element, talking about everything he could think of. To the few remaining kids left on the swing-set. Who would they be in 10 years? Would their lives be this complicated? Or would everything be fine? Would they still be friends, or would everything fall apart? Luz guessed that was just one more thing she had no idea about. 

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

Stepping on the almost empty bus, Luz made her way to two of the many open seats. Taking the window for herself and motioning for Gus to sit next to her. Willow had gotten off a few stops prior, waving goodbye with a promise to text Luz the next day. As Gus sat next to her, Luz looked around the Bus once more. Only three other people. An old woman at the very front, a guy with a briefcase messaging someone on his phone, and a girl around eighteen looking out the window, headphones blasting music into her ears. Pretty private, or as good as she was going to get.  


"Gus, can I ask you a question?" She said, turning to face him. He nodded slowly, a look of apprehension on his face.  


"What did you mean when you said Amity isn't so bad?" Gus sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.  


"Are we doing this again?" He asked. Luz remembered Willow's earlier rant and quickly backpedalled.  


"No, no, I just. I didn't think you'd ever spoken to her." She said. Gus shrugged.  


"Not in school. I haven't." Luz tilted her head.

"You see each other outside school?" That made even less sense. Gus didn't keep secrets. And knowing Amity would be a pretty big one. Besides, what did Amity even do outside school besides study? Gus bit his lip, picking at a hangnail.  


"Yeah, you know that acting class I take on the weekends?" He started; Luz nodded.  


"Yes…" He swallowed thickly, looking just to the side of her head.  


"Well, her siblings do the class too, in a different age bracket, of course. She comes along sometimes, sits to the side." Luz raised her eyebrows. She knew Gus had an acting lesson on Sundays. He could talk for hours on end about it. But the Blights were never mentioned. She may not remember all of Gus's tangents but _that_ she would have kept track of. 

She didn't know much about Amity's siblings. Only that they'd graduated the previous year, where renowned pranksters, and left a record braking final result for their exams. Apparently, they also did drama. And Amity went along.  


"Really?" Gus smiled slightly at her disbelieve.  


"Yeah, I've even had lunch with her a few times." Luz's mouth fell open at that, causing Gus to let out a laugh.  


"So, let me get this straight. You. Gus Porter. Have had lunch with Amity Blight," Gus elbowed her, still smiling.  


"Yes, I have. And sure, you have to get past the titanium walls of passive-aggressive first, but she can actually be really nice." Luz just stared at him. She thought she knew Gus. They'd been friends for almost 2 years. And it may not be that big of a deal, but it was still a huge secret to keep. 

"So, you two are what, friends?" Luz asked. Gus shifted uncomfortably.  


"Kind of." At Luz's dumbfounded expression, he continued.  


"I was just… I was really lonely at those classes." He looked down at his lap.   


"At school, I have you guys and the journalism club, but outside of that, I have nothing…" he trailed off. "And I love the class, don’t get me wrong. I just didn't really connect with any of the people there. I always sat alone. No one wanted to be my scene partner, no one…cared. And no one noticed how left out I felt either." Luz knew where this was going.  


"Accept Amity." Gus nodded, not lifting his head. Luz watched the scenery outside as the bus slowed down. Stopping to let off the man with the briefcase and the girl with her headphones. She couldn't stop thinking about what Gus had said. _No one cared, **no one.**_ It seemed Amity had a way of working her way into people's minds. By finding them when there was no one else. 

She looked at Gus again, still working away at a hangnail. She couldn't be mad at him. He made it almost impossible. But she still wondered why he hadn't told her. Amity may not be Boscha, but she still wasn't liked by their group. And it was a big secret kept by, who she thought, was the most open and honest person she knew.  


"Why didn’t you tell us?" Gus looked up; he knew what she was really asking. _Why didn’t you tell me?_ He bit his lip.  


"You know how Willow gets about Amity. I didn't want to upset her." A pause "And I didn't know how you'd react," He whispered. It was enough to make Luz feel guilty. After all, Gus wasn't the only one keeping secrets. She hadn’t told him about the moment with Amity. Mostly because she thought he'd tell Willow. She couldn't be mad at him. She sighed; life was complicated. 

"Fair. So, you think me and Amity could be friends?" She paused. "Or at least, not kill each other." Gus's nervous expression broke.  


"I definitely think murder is off the table," he replied, letting out a laugh. Grinning, he elbowed her. "And I know you don’t hate her as much as you say you do." Luz put her hand to her heart in mock outrage.  


"And what would cause such a ghastly accusation?" Gus laughed, crossing his arms with exaggerated importance.  


"Because I know you," he said simply. Sticking his chin out. Luz gave up.  


"Dam it, you do, don't you." She said, breaking into a smile. 

The Bus stopped once again, letting the old woman off before continuing on, leaving the two the last remaining passengers. As their laughter died down, Gus looked over at Luz again.  


"She doesn’t hate you, you know, she just…" he trailed off for a moment, finding the right words. "She doesn’t understand." Luz almost burst out laughing again. If there was one thing she knew, it was not understanding.  


"I'll keep an open mind when I see her," she said. Pushing the stop button as her stop came up. Gus smiled, taking her hand.  


"That’s all I could ask for." He said. Giving her hand a squeeze as she rose to get off, slipping her phone out of her pocket. 

The bus came to a halt at her stop. Getting her bus card out from the card spaces in her phone case, she gave Gus one last hug.  


"See you on Monday," She said.  


"See you then," he replied as she walked past him. Right at the door, however, she turned around.  


"Thank you, Gus." He smiled.  


"No problem, and you'll be fine. I believe in you," Luz put her hands on her hips.  


"When did you get so wise?" She said, tapping her go card at the bus drivers glare. Gus just shrugged.  


"I have some very wise friends." Luz smiled; she really did love him.  


"Bye, Gus," she said, walking down the steps.  


"Bye," he yelled, waving as the doors closed behind her. Luz watched the bus drive away. So, Gus was friends with Amity. You learn something new every day. 

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

Luz walked up the front path to her house. The glowing light from inside indicating that her mother was home. Checking her watch, she cringed. She was late. Her mum would probably be worrying. Running up the stairs, she burst through the front door, her keys apparently unnecessary. The smell of her mums cooking reached her nose the second she entered the house. Pausing in the entryway, she inhaled deeply.  


"Mija. Is that you?" Her mum called out. Luz dumped her bag at the front door before running into the kitchen to find her mother stirring something at the stove.

"Yes, Mami. Sorry, I'm so late. I lost track of time. She said, hugging her from behind. Camila turned around to fully embrace her. Landing a kiss on her forehead  


"It's ok. Just text me next time. Did you have fun with your friends?" Luz smiled  


"Yeah, I did. We went to the park. Sat by the fountain." Camila frowned slightly, moving Luz's still, slightly damp hair out of her face.  


"Had a swim in the fountain too by the looks of it. What did you three do there."  


"It was hot!" Luz exclaimed. Camila smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I know, I'm not mad, just go changed before dinner." Luz looked from her mother's tired eyes to the food still slowly cooking on the stove.  


"Don't you need help?" she said. She had been trying to do more around the house recently, and with the news of her less then stellar class performance having to be brought up at some point. It wouldn't hurt to get in some points. Her mother smiled, kissing her forehead again.  


"No, it's ok, go get changed, we can talk after." Luz hesitated. She had been sweating all day and was desperate for a shower, but still, she wanted to help.  


"You sure?" she asked. Camila cupped her cheek.  


"I'm sure, I love you, Mija." Luz smiled, turning to leave.  


"I love you too." She called, heading up-stairs.

****************************************************************

Luz ran her fingers through her wet hair in a fruitless attempt to neaten it. She had changed into shorts and a tank top as even the night persisted with the remaining summer heat. Giving up, she took one last look in the mirror and sighed. Luz had never _hated_ the way she looked. But she had never particularly _liked_ it either. Her hair was always too messy, whether short or long. Her knees always had some kind of bruise or scrape. And she was just… not that pretty. She wasn't ugly, she knew that, but she was just kind of average. Thin, relatively tall, dark hair, brown eyes. There was just nothing… wow. Willow would be yelling if she could hear her. She was constantly going on about Luz's self-esteem being too low. About how _'you need to stop putting yourself down'_ or _'that would look so cute on you. With your eyes and your skin tone. It'd be perfect.'_ Willow really should just take her own advice.  


"Mija dinners ready," Her mum called from downstairs.  


"Coming." She yelled, taking one last look at the mirror before coming downstairs. 

****************************************************************

Luz and Camila sat at the table, the warm light of the candles flooding the two as they sat opposite each other.  


"So, how was school?" Camila asked. Luz chose her words carefully.  


"It was ok." She said, taking a large bight to avoid having to elaborate.  


"Just ok?" Camila asked. Luz finished chewing. There was no way she was getting out of this.  


"I was a little late," she said, avoiding her mother's eyes.  


"When did you go to bed?" she asked, probably already knowing the answer. Luz bit her lip, feeling slightly guilty.  


"I- it was before one," she mumbled, looking directly at her plate.  


"Luz!" Her mum admonished. Luz looked up, raising her hands in surrender.  


"I know, I know. But I didn’t get a detention." Her mother sighed. Laying the argument to rest for now. 

"Well, that’s good. How is Willow, by the way? I haven't seen her in a while." Luz smiled.  


"She's doing well, and she got a 79 on her English quiz." As soon as the words left her mouth, Luz wanted to sink into the floor. Really? Bringing up the quiz. She needed to think before she spoke. Camila, completely unaware of Luz's internal panic, smiled.  


"Oh, that’s wonderful. You need to invite her around again sometime." Luz forced a smile. Pushing the food around her plate, her appetite completely gone.  


"I Will." A small silence descended upon the table as Luz tried to think of how to break the news. She wouldn't lie exactly; she would just be… stretching the truth.  


"Um, mum, about this test." She started. Camila looked up from her food.  


"Mmm?" Luz squirmed.

"I um, I didn't do as well as I'd hoped." She said carefully. So far, all true. Her mum tilted her head to the side.  


"What do you mean?" Luz bit her lip  


"I didn't fail or anything," _liar._ "But um, Miss Walker assigned me a tutor." Luz sat back, setting her cutlery down as she waited for her mum's reaction. Camila furrowed her brows slightly.  


"A tutor?" Luz jumped in.  


"It's free, we don't have to pay anything, but she asked one of the other girls to… help me with somethings." She whispered, looking at her lap as embarrassment flooded her.  


"But I thought you were doing well in English. You love writing." Camila said. Luz cringed, looking up again.  


"I'm ok with the writing. It's the other stuff." Camila smiled slightly, reaching across the table for Luz's hand. 

"Well, who is this other girl? Do I know her?" Luz paused. While Luz hadn’t spoken much about Amity, her mum definitely knew they weren’t the most friendly with each other.  


"It's um. It's Amity. Amity Blight." Her mother froze.  


"Oh." She said, clearly trying to phrase her next sentence. "Is that going to be ok? You'll be able to work with her?" Luz nodded. It may be awkward, but she truly believed she and Amity could reach some kind of middle ground. And even if they did kill each other, that wasn't for her mum to worry about.  


"I think it should be fine." She said. Camila smiled, squeezing Luz's hand. 

"Ok, well, tell me if there's any trouble. I know you two don't exactly get along." Luz nodded.  


"Mum, I will be fine." She paused, looking at the candle wax dripping in the centre of the table. "You're not disappointed, are you?" Camila let go of Luz's hand and brought it up to her chin, gently guiding Luz's eye line towards her.  


"Of course not, You’re a gifted writer Luz. You just need a little help with the classwork, that all. That doesn’t make you any less of a writer." She said. Luz felt tears pricked her eyes. "And if your teacher thinks this girl can help and you're ok with it. Seems like a win-win to me." Her mum shrugged, picking up her fork and taking another bite. Luz smiled.  


"I love you, Mami." She said, her voice wobbling slightly.  


"I love you too," Camila said. "Now, no more talking about school. How was the rest of your day." Luz laughed, and the two spent the remainder of dinner talking about everything other than school or work. Only a slight pang of guilt hitting Luz for the rest of the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this death? I feel like this is death. This was so hard to write. A) The Gus and Amity stuff is 100% my own invention. If you hated it, I'll explain myself in a moment. And B) Camila. Just Camila. She makes me so nervous to write, and not just because of my abysmal Spanish. She's just such a hard charter for her to write for me. I don't know why. She just is. But I just found it really hard to be so informal about parents (Thanks, mum and dad ), so if Luz says 'mother' a lot, that’s why. I also just realised that with Willows dads, and Perry I have to write 4 good parents I- 
> 
> Ok, now the Gus and Amity stuff. I did that for a couple reasons. 1) I want more Gus and Amity content, and if I have them develop a friendship later, that would take a while, and it would still be new, and there wouldn't be much time spent on it because I'm not _trying_ to write a novel. I also have no self-control and wanted to write them sooner than that. 2) I want more Gus; he doesn’t really get much development a lot of the time, so I wanted to give him some. And as this is a Lumity fic (Yes, it is, I promise this is the last set up chapter), I thought having him close to both Luz and Amity would give him more page time. 3) I want more Willow, and I want to explore her relationship with Gus more. And adding conflict there will hopefully make it more interesting and less self-indulgent. 3) I wanted to… and I'm writing this so… 
> 
> Also, Willow will have more to her then the Amity mess. And Boscha. We'll see many more sides to all the charters, but I feel like that’s mostly all Willow gets, so I'm just putting that in there. Next chapter, I'll finally stop fluffing around and get to the dam point. Yay. We'll have their first study session and meat Eda. And King, I added King. As usual hope you enjoyed. Comments are appreciated, and thank you for reading.
> 
> Edit: Also I'm working on a Willow and Amity friendship one shot, not related to this so that'll be up soon.


	5. Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz has her first session with Amity. It goes… well?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo I lied. Eda and Kind will be chapter 7. I- tried. I just thought this needed it's own chapter so we're here. Sorry for the short chapter. More notes at the end. Continuing on.

Luz paused on the library's front steps, checking her bag for around the 5th time that day. She had no idea why she was so nervous. It was simple, see Amity, do a worksheet or two and get out. She had even gotten there 15 minutes early just so Amity couldn't complain. So why was she so scared. Her talk with Gus last night should have made her less nervous, not more. And her mum had taken the news much better then she thought she would. She took a deep breath, looking up at the grand entrance to the building. The tall columns and heavy curved doors somehow even more intimidating up close. _You can do this, Luz._

Pushing open the doors, Luz sighed as she stepped into the air-con, looking around. It had been a while since she'd last come to the city library, getting most of her books online. Her memories only really consisted of the elegant art piece hung from the ceiling and the bright colours of the children's section. But walking into the quiet of the entryway, Luz could understand why people liked it here. It was like entering a different world. Leaving the flashing lights and obnoxious noise from outside behind and entering a kind of still. A pocket of time. There was something so calm about the clean grey carpet and plain white walls. The rows upon rows of shelves and the subtle background noise of peoples quiet whispers and the white noise of the AC. Turning around in a slow circle, she made her way to the level below where, if she remembered correctly, the computers were. She figured that was her best bet in terms of finding Amity. 

She made her way down the curving staircase, sliding her hand down the cool metal railing. Reaching the bottom, she walked towards the computers, looking at all the tables for Amity. She found her at a table at the back, thoroughly engrossed in a novel. Walking up to her, Luz put her bag down on the table, making sure to produce a noise. Amity flinched slightly before glaring at her, annoyed at being disrupted while reading, but her expression changed when she saw it was Luz. 

She closed her book, looking Luz up and down. Once again, Luz found herself feeling self-conscious under Amity's scrutiny. She didn't look _bad._ She had just thrown on some shorts and a singlet because of the heat. But looking at Amity, she found herself wanting to start the day over again. She was wearing a thin sweater with a pleated tennis skirt, her hair slicked back into a perfect ponytail.  


"Your early," she said. Reaching down into her bag. Luz sat down, pulling her bag off the table.  


"Told you." She said she couldn’t resist. Besides, Amity had made enough digs at her tardiness. She felt somewhat entitled. Amity Just rolled her eyes, retrieving her laptop and setting it on the table.  


"Whatever. Let's get to work, shall we." Luz shrugged.  


"Fine." 

Amity opened up her laptop, typing in the password before speaking again, still getting something up.  


"So, Miss Walker sent me some of your writing and- "  


"She did? When?" Luz cut in, panic filling her. Miss Walker sending over her writing had never been part of the plan. Amity _seeing_ her writing had never been part of the plan. Amity just glared at her.  


"She emailed me last night, and don't interrupt." She snapped. Her typing taking on an aggressive edge. Luz rolled her eyes. Like Amity could talk, Luz could name a handful of times off the top of her head when the girl had interrupted her. Amity had, apparently, found what she was looking for as she turned her attention away from her screen. 

"Anyway, I had a look at some of your writing. Just to see if there were any glaring floors that needed to be addressed." Luz glared.  
And did you find any 'glaring floors'?" She said. Amity smiled, but it was clearly strained.  


"Well, setting aside the abhorrent grammar and structure so bad I'm surprised you passed sixth grade, it's…. " she trailed off ", not the worst thing I've ever read." Luz's eyes narrowed  


"I don't know if that’s a compliment or not." She said, tilting her head slightly. Amity smiled again, this one slightly more genuine.  


"Guess." She said simply. Luz sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"So how do I fix my, what did you say, 'abhorrent gramma', and what was the other thing?" So far, this was a lot more personal than worksheets. Amity half-closed her laptop, giving Luz her full attention.  


"Your structure, I don't know who taught you to plan, but they didn’t know what they were doing." Luz was starting to grow annoyed. She had come here to not fail the classwork, not to have her writing prosses insulted.  


"I don't normally plan. I just… write and see what comes out." Amity scoffed, tightening her ponytail.  


"Why does that not surprise me." Luz clenched her fists. Of course, Amity was one of those people who planned everything. Not that there was anything wrong with that. It just got under her skin when they insulted her way of doing things. 

"What! Sometimes making things up as you go gets the best results." Amity narrowed her eyes, picking up on the hostility in Luz's tone.  


"And the rest of the time, it leaves you with a structureless mess." Luz slammed her hands down on the table, earning a few irritated glances from the people nearby.  


"So, I return to my question. How do I improve? You can't just sit there and criticise me without helping me get better. That’s not teaching. That’s just you picking apart my writing without adding something constructive." She finished, slightly out of breath. Amity just raised her eyebrows, looking very unimpressed.  


"Are you quite finished?" she asked. Luz slumped down in her chair; all her energy gone.  


"Yes," she muttered. 

"Good, because if you'd let me get more than a sentence out, I would tell you," Amity said. Reaching into her bag again, she produced a loose-leaf folder. Looking at Luz again, Amity sighed.  


"Look. Truthfully? The stuff in class your 'not getting'. It's not hard to catch up on." Luz frowned in puzzlement. Isn't that why she was here? But Amity spoke again.  


"I can help you memorise dates or define genres all I want, and I will eventually, but it won't make you a better writer. That’s what you care about." Amity paused, biting her lip.  


"So, I thought by dedicating the first bit of our, I'm sure _wonderful_ time together, on something you're actually interested in. I could get a sense of how you work and how best to teach you the 'boring stuff' in a way you'll actually be able to focus on."

Luz sat in shock. Did Amity Blight, top student and teacher's pet, not only call the classwork boring but actually suggest a way to help her focus. Did Amity really just strip down all her problems in English like _that._ And she was right on everything she'd said. Becoming a better writer was what Luz wanted. The main problem was that she couldn't focus. But this was Amity. Since when had she known so much about her. When did she have the time to do this? 

"How the hell," Luz said, just sitting there open-mouthed. Amity laughed, an actual laugh before explaining further.  


"I may not like you very much, but I've been in your class for two years now. It's not exactly a secrete your focus is; I'll be kind and say less than brilliant. I thought it would be most effective to see how you work first so I can help you find a way around it." Luz just stared.  


"You actually put thought into this, didn't you?" Amity shrugged, attempting to look indifferent, but a small smile worked its way on to her lips.  


"What? Did you expect me to leave you out in the cold? I was told to do something. I'm going to do it to the best of my ability." Luz nodded. Still slightly stunned. 

"Ok, so what's your plan." Amity handed Luz the folder she had gotten out earlier and motioned for her to open it. Luz did so and inside found one of her short stories from last year printed out. Black pen and notes written in Amity's small, slanted writing covering the page.  


"I ask you some questions about your writing prosses. We go through the sample of your writing Miss Walker sent through, and I show you what I liked and what you could improve. From there, we see what you're struggling with and hone in on those areas. As I work with you a bit more, I see what works with you and what doesn’t, so when we get to the more technical stuff, I know how to teach you the best." Luz shrugged.  


"That works for me." Amity smiled, taking the folder back from Luz.  


"Great, so let's get started."

****************************************************************

Amity, it turns out, was an excellent teacher. She was tough and didn’t hold back on her criticism. But she was fair and always gave Luz a chance to explain. She was also helpful, pointing out things Luz hadn't even thought of and twisting words into beautiful descriptive passages. Luz hadn't really read much of Amity's work, but she didn't have to. The girl clearly knew what she was doing. She also managed to keep her on track. Luz only found her attention slipping two or three times within the hour and even then, only for a few minutes.

She didn’t know if it was how Amity taught or what she was saying, but Luz could just... pay attention. Luz also learnt some things about Amity. She kept her guard up for most of the lesson, but the few times she let it slip, Luz saw a completely different girl. The girl she saw in the bathroom that day, a girl she could see Gus befriending, a girl she really, _really_ liked. 

And, when she wasn't acting rude, Amity could actually be _very_ funny. That sharp tongue, adept at pointed comments and passive-aggressive observations, could be surprisingly amusing when her quick wit and sarcastic commentary were added. Her humour was definitely drier and a shade dark than her's, but Luz found herself enjoying it. Only struggling slightly to keep up with Amity's lightning banter. And, when Luz checked her watch, she couldn't believe it was already 5:00. Had that really been an hour? 

Luz was about to bring the time to Amity's attention when she heard a small buzz from Amity's phone, half peeking out from under a stray piece of paper. Luz hadn't _meant_ to see it. But it was right there, and the full text wasn't even visible. Cut off by the paper. 

Emira:  
_Hey Amity. Look, I know your mad at us, but can you please answer our calls? We're worried about you and…_

That was all Luz could read. She looked up at Amity.  


"Umm, Amity," She said cautiously. Amity gave a non-committal hum, still working on proofreading one of Luz's pomes. Luz gulped. "You got a text." Amity looked up, shooting her an apologetic smile.  


"Sorry, I told Boscha not to text me during this."  


"It's not Boscha. Who's Emira?" The change was almost instantaneous. Amity's eyes widened, her skin losing all colour.  


"Emira?!" she exclaimed, practically diving across that table. Grabbing her phone, she read the message through, mouthing the words at least three times. With a scowl, she aggressively clicked her phone off, almost throwing it in her bag before violently tightening her ponytail and returning to the pome. 

"So…" Luz said after a moment of silence, trying the brake the tension. "Who's Emira." Amity didn't look up.  


"No one." She paused, her pen coming to hover over a phrase. "No one important anyway." She said, crossing it out with a sigh.  


"What did she want?" Luz continued. She knew she was pushing her luck, but her curiosity got the better of her. Amity looked up from the paper to glare at her and, not acknowledging the question, simply said,  


"Back to work. Now." Luz nodded, turning back to her work _'Note to self, don’t talk about anyone named 'Emira.''_

****************************************************************

They worked for another half hour. The mood lightening slightly but never returning to the almost jovial banter of before. When Amity finally announced they were finished for the day, Luz looked down at the papers in front of her, slightly stunned.  


"Dam, I actually learned something." Amity grinned, beginning to pack her stuff away.  


"Glad to be of service." Reaching into her bag, Amity pulled out her phone.  


"Oh, and before I forget, can you put your number in? I need a way to contact you." Luz frowned.

"Can't I just message you on Insta?" Amity bit her lip, not meeting her gaze.  


"I, we'd need to follow each other to message." Luz raised her eyebrows. She knew what Amity was implying. She just wanted to see if she'd say it.  


"And?" Amity sighed, her tome taking on its usual exasperated edge.  


"People keep track of who I follow, Luz. I can't just-"  


"You mean you don’t want Boscha seeing you following a loser, is that it." Luz cut in. She knew it couldn’t last forever. That this helpful, more open Amity had to retreat at some point.  


"I'm not talking about Boscha!" Amity yelled earing angered glares from the few remaining people around them. "Just, it'll be easier this way. Besides, I hardly use Instagram." Luz sighed, taking the phone Amity handed her.  


"Fine." She said, typing in her number. She wasn't happy, but it wasn't worth a fight. 

Amity took her phone back, checking Luz had actually done it before sliding it in her bag.  


"Thank you. I'll text you when our next meeting is." She said, standing up to leave.  


"See you then," Luz offered. Amity nodded before walking passed her towards the staircase. But before she could reach it, Luz called out.  


"Hey, Amity." Amity turned around, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Thank you, for today. You’re a good teacher." Amity smiled.  


"Your welcome," she said, turning around again. But after a step, she paused, turning back to face Luz. "You're not the worst student in the world." Luz grinned.  


"Now that definitely was a compliment." Shrugged, still smiling.  


"Maybe. I'll see you on Monday Luz." She said, turning around for the final time and heading up the stairs. 

Luz grinned. That had gone… _much_ better than expected. Although, in hindsight, she shouldn't have been surprised. She and Amity had never really been _enemies._ That implied hatred. Deep and immovable. They were closer to… rivals. Not particularly _liking_ each other, not understanding each other but… with something else there. Some grudging respect. Some unspoken acknowledgements of each other's skills. Forever equipped with the fundamental idea that this person was just that. A person. Gathering up her things, Luz followed Amity's path up the stairs. Rivas, she could work with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I lied. But in my defence I finally got to the point.... so there's that. Eda and King will be chapter 7. What's chapter 6 you ask? 
> 
> Pain, for me and you. It'll be an interlude of sorts. Seeing some things from different points of view. FT: Willow, Gus, Amity and Boscha. I'll have one of these every few chapters when I think it's needed. And they'll have a look at the little threads I've put in the previous chapters that Luz doesn't see yet if ever.
> 
> You don't _have_ to read them to understand the story but I highly recommend it. And, as per usual I've talked to much.  
> You know the drill, sorry for spelling, comments appreciated, thank you for reading.  
> And don't worry about the Emira stuff. All will be revealed about that... mess next chapter.


	6. Interlude {Willow and Gus}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willow never liked Questions. Especially unanswered one's
> 
> Gus was surrounded by truth and lies. He's not quite sure which is which now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, first catch-up chapter. And again, I had to split into two because on length, but they'll be published right after each other. In this one we have Willow and Gus so enjoy. 
> 
> Also, CW: Chapter contains reference to bullying, and a lot of self-loathing (Thank you, Willow). So, read with care.

Questions. Willow didn't like questions. Or, more accurately, she didn’t like unanswered questions. Her motto 'out of sight out of mind' had served her well. No matter how unhealthy it may be, it worked. If she just ignored her problems… well, they wouldn't go away, but she wouldn't have to deal with them for a while. 

Willow knew there were a lot of things in life she didn't understand. That the world was full of mysteries humans could never hope to comprehend. She knew she'd never be able to see why the people around her did the things they did. She could never truly analyse how her friends thought and felt. She had made peace with that. Most of it wasn't her business anyway. 

She didn’t know why Gus, with all his passion for writing and reporting and a news anchor as a father, refused to consider it a possible carrier. She didn't know why Luz moved to Hexside or why she was so determined to make her mother proud. She didn't know why Boscha had made it her life's ambition to make her's worse. And she had absolutely no idea why Amity did anything. 

Because she didn’t need to know. She had accepted that. People didn't need to tell her everything. It wasn't her business. She'd probably end up being more of a burden than a help anyway. Willow knew there were things she was good at, things she had a natural ability for. She knew that. Logically. It was just hard to remember when everything she did felt like a failure. 

She _knew_ Luz and Gus liked her, no loved her. She _knew_ that. So why did it feel like she was dragging them down? Like she didn't deserve them. One thing Willow had discovered over the many, many years of self-reflection was that what you _knew_ and what your mind let you believe were very different things. 

Rationally she knew not everything bad that happened in the world was her fault. That people made their own conscious decisions completely separate from her. That didn’t stop it from hurting when people were trying to get under her skin. She knew Boscha was all talk. That in reality, she was just a scared, lonely girl taking everything out on her. But it still hurt. She also knew Skara didn't hate her. That she could actually be quite sweet when Boscha wasn't there. But it still hurt. She knew Amity was… well. She didn't really know _what_ Amity was. But with her, it would always hurt. It couldn't not. 

She knew these people were just that, people. She wasn't 14 anymore, crafting villains in her mind. She was old enough and mature enough to know that wasn't how people worked. They were all children. 16 at the oldest. She knew they didn't really mean the things they said. Or maybe they did now, but they would look back. They'd regret it. She hoped. But even if that was true, It still hurt. 

Which is why Willow had mostly given up on questions. Knowing the answer to things didn’t make it hurt less. If anything, it just frustrated her. Knowing things didn’t make it hurt less. Nothing made things hurt less, so what was the point. There was only one area of her life in which she was desperate for answers she was never going to get. Amity Blight.

She was an enigma. A constant question mark hanging over her head. It was so much harder to ignore Amity, like her eyes were always drawn to that stupid ponytail. She still remembered when they were friends. When they would play for hours in the sand and sneak into the library. Sleepovers and picnics in the garden. Splashing in the pool and laughing in her bedroom. She was honestly shocked she remembered it so well after so long, although she guessed she shouldn't be. You don't forget your first friend. You don't forget the girl you thought of as a sister. You don't forget the girl that made you grow up too fast. 

Amity breaking off their friendship was her first introduction to just how cruel the world could be. She had gotten glimpses before that of course. Herd her parents stressing over debt, been picked on or whispered about in school. But even when things were hard before that, she had Amity. She didn't remember a time _before_ Amity came into her life. There was simply Amity and after. Willow cursed herself for caring so much. She shouldn't. It was years ago. She should be over it by now. But she had no idea what she'd done. Why Amity had done what she had. And, she guessed, that's what made it hurt so much. 

Her parents had always encouraged her to be curious. To explore and question, and look at things in different ways. They had supported her in her love of biology and her hunger for learning. She had come to realised through Biology, where things were uncertain at best, that she really didn't mind questions. Just not the Amity kind. 

And so, walking up to her front door on Friday night, Luz and Gus long gone into the city, her mind wandered, questioned again. _Eat it. And enjoy it. That uniform doesn't flatter anyone._ Amity defended her. Not only that, but she was the most outspoken she'd been with Boscha in years. She guessed she should be happy. Amity stopping Boscha was definitely better then… not doing so. But it made things more complicated. 

She didn’t mean what she'd said to Gus. She knew Amity wasn't two dimensional. She was one of the most complicated people she'd ever met. That was why she was so frustrated. Besides, it was bad enough when Luz lied to her and said she looked pretty, or… not awful. Amity doing so was just painful. 

Willow sighed as she closed the front door, wanting to collapse into the ground right then and there. But before she could, her father called out to her.

"Willow! How was school?" Willow sighed, walking into the living room. Her dad was sitting on the couch, a book set aside next to him, and his glasses set down on the table beside him.

"Fine." She said, slinging her bag down next to the coffee table.

"Where's dad?" She asked, sitting down next to him, careful to avoid crushing his book.

"Probably at the store. He’ll be home soon." Ray said, moving the book to the table next to his glasses and pulling Willow closer. 

"So, how was school?" He asked. Willow knew he would. She didn't blame him. Even if right then, the very question made her want to burst into tears. 

"It was fine." She replied. A practised response. Ray's smile was strained, and she could tell he didn't believe her. But he let the matter drop. 

"Ok, how was after school? Did you have fun with your friends?" Willow smiled, tucking her still slightly damp hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, we went to the park, had a small water fight." Ray grinned.

"I can see that." He said, flicking the end of Willow's hair. She giggled. 

"Can’t exactly blame you. The heat is ridiculous." Willow smiled. She loved these moments with her dad's, but she knew this wouldn't last. Eventually, school would come back into the conversation, and she just… she wasn't ready. 

"I'm going to do homework. If that's ok with you." She said, standing up. Ray looked taken aback but nodded.

"You need help?" Willow smiled, reaching into her bag and pulling out what she needed. 

"With Math maybe, but I’ll call if I need to." Ray's smile was strained again, and she could tell he wanted to say something else, but all he said was.

"Ok, I love you." Willow leant down, pressing a kiss on his forehead. 

"I love you to." She said before walking into her room. 

Willow let out a scream, crumpling up another sheet of paper. She couldn't do this. Math had never been her strongest subject, but she literally couldn't complete a single problem. She had been just below her boiling point all day and this was all just to much. Tears flowed freely as she put her head in her hands. Boscha was right. She was an idiot. She couldn't even do basic math equations. How did she expect to do anything? She was worthless she was-

"You need help," Willow's head shot up, watching as Ray slowly made his way towards her, pulling up a spare chair and sitting next to her. 

"I just don’t get this," Willow cried, slamming her hands on the worksheet. Her dad stayed calm, reaching a hand out. 

"Let me see," Willow shook her head, her breaths coming faster,

"No, it's not working!" And it wasn't. Her mind wasn't working, her brain, her body. It was in shut down. She couldn't do this. She couldn't breathe. She was worthless. She was never going to find value in her looks. She knew that, but she at least thought she might be smart enough to be of some worth, but no. Even her mind was betraying her. Ray sighed, gently but firmly placing his hands on her shoulders. 

"Willow, I need you to calm down." But she couldn't. All she could do was stare at those stupid problems as everything came back. She couldn’t think. It was too loud; her heart was trapped inside her head.

"I will not calm down!" She screamed, the tears flowing faster. "I can’t do this; I can't do anything." Ray moved closer, enveloping Willow in a hug. Stroking her hair, he waited until she could reasonably talk before pulling away slightly. 

"Hey, hey. Look at me." He cupped her cheek.  
"What’s going on?" Willow sniffed, violently brushing away her tears before her dad stopped her, pulling out a small packet of tissues from his pocket. Willow paused. And, stuttering slightly, answered. 

"I just, I want to be good at things, I want- I want to be pretty. But since I'm never going to be, I may as well try and be smart, but I can’t even do that." Ray looked at her in shock, biting his lip before pulling her to him once again. 

"What in the world made you believe you're not pretty? What makes you think you're not smart?" Willow just shrugged. Burying her head into his sweater. It still smelt like flowers from the shop. 

"Everything. Boscha, Amity, Luz. Everything." She muttered. Ray sighed, stroking her hair. 

"Willow, you are the most beautiful little girl I know." He stopped himself.  
"No, you're not a little girl anymore. You’re a young woman. A beautiful, intelligent, kind young woman. Who I am proud to call my daughter." Willow pulled away.

"You have to say that. You're my dad. It doesn’t count." She said, staring at the ground.

"And who made that rule," Ray asked. Willow shrugged again. 

"Well, I think it’s a stupid rule." Another tear fell down her cheek, but before she could brush it aside, he reached up to the chin, gently forcing her to meet his gaze. 

"You're beautiful Willow, don't let anyone tell you you're not." Her lower lip trembled before she threw herself into his arms again. He frowned, stroking her hair. 

"Oh, Willow." He sighed, looking at the mess around them. Willow's normally spotless room was covered in pencils and paper and lose worksheets. 

"Let's give up the homework for tonight. Mmm? You've got the whole weekend. I'll get some dinner; your dad should be home soon anyway." Willow nodded.

"Can we stay like this for a while first?" she whispered. Ray nodded. 

"Of course, Honey." 

Gus: Truth and Lies.

Gus learnt from a very early age the differences between lies and truth. He was sure all kids did at some point, but he studied those to words inside and out. He had always been a bright kid. Was always ahead in school, but he never fit in. Even after being moved up a grade, he could never connect with his peers. That's why he supposed he was always so close with his parents. They were his only friends.

He had always admired his father. A good, kind man full of love and laughter. He wanted his future to be just like his fathers. Wanted to be on TV, reporting on everything corrupt in the world. He was his idol. And his mother was his world. He loved her more than anything. Loved her perfume, loved her smile, loved her eye's, the same as his. She was the best mother he could ask for. Always there for him, always kind. He grew up in a house full of laughter. And they were the perfect family. Until they weren’t. 

The funeral was a blur of tears and well wishes, everyone saying just how much they had loved her. How kind she was, how gentle. He could barely remember any of it. All he could recall was staring at her coffin and waiting for her to come back to him. Because she's promised she'd always be there for him. And his mum never broke her promises. It only really hit him after that some promises just couldn't be kept.

The months after were the hardest. He knew his dad was trying to be strong for him. Trying to shield Gus from the pains of grief as much as he could. And he did for the most part. But Gus still remembered the empty third cutlery set at the table. The silence when she was meant to be home from work. His dad crying softly in the room next door. All alone in the double bed. He remembered it all. 

He learned a lot about grief in the years that followed. He learned that you never really move on. You move forward. Because you have to because time doesn’t let you stop and slow down and prosses your entire world collapsing. You just have to keep moving forward. He still remembered his mum. Her perfume, her smile, her laugh. He still missed her, and when something reminded him of her, sometimes it hurt so much, he could hardly breathe. 

After that, it was just him and his dad. And, as stupid as it felt to say, he was Gus's only friend. It worried Perry slightly that Gus had so little interaction outside the family, but, as he seemed happy, he put it out of his mind. Gus told his father everything. Spent all the time he could with him. Perry would tell him all about work (or a watered-down version of his work), and he and Gus could talk about anything for hours. Gus was Perry's pride and joy, and Perry was Gus's lifeline. They were closer than anything. And even if the whole his mother had left still ached. They were a family again. Until things changed.

The older Gus grew, the more he came to question the world in which he was raised. Or, more accurately, he came to question the ethics of certain reporting practises. He knew his dad would never do anything to hurt anyone on purpose. But he guessed he also didn't have a choice sometimes. Gus went into the world of reporting and journalism, thinking he could help people. Help them uncover the truth. Finding out just how corrupt the industry was… well, it wasn't fun.  
Gus hid this realisation from his father. He just didn’t want to have the conversation. Perry was his role model as well as his parent. He didn't want anything he said to sound accusatory. He just… liked to question some things. But he couldn't. His world was made up of secrets and lies. And it was up to him to discover which was which.

It was that curiosity that had first lead him to befriending Willow. Seeing her sitting alone at lunch one day, he thought she would make and excellent interview subject. And she did. But she was so much more than that. They had lunch together every day after that. And as they both had no one else besides their parents, their friendship grew quickly. It wasn't much. Hardly the massive friend groups he saw around school. But it was enough. Just the two of them against the world. Until one day, it became three. 

Luz joining them had been quite simple, in all honesty. She had just… clicked. Fit neatly into the empty spaces in his and Willow's dynamic. She was brave and daring, and impulsive. But also caring and intelligent and with the same hunger for knowledge both he and Willow possessed in excess. And so, Gus's life was pretty complete. He had his dad. He had friends, actual friends. And he was tracking well in all his subjects. His life was smooth. So, of course, something had to come and turn it upside down. 

Befriending Amity Blight had never been part of his plan. No matter how curious he was about the girl, he had sworn never to go there. One because of Willow's problems with her and two because, quite frankly, she scared him. With her power and her wealth, he saw just staying away as the better option. So never, in a million years, would he expect her to come to him. 

She didn’t say anything at first. Just came up to him one lunch break and sat next to him. He had been wary of her, wondering what kind of games she was playing, but she just sat there. Reading her book. He looked at the other kids in his drama class and then back to Amity. Maybe silent Amity wasn't so bad.

She had done the same thing the next day. Whenever he sat alone, she would simply stand up. Walk over, sit down, and continue to read. Not a word or a glance. It was only when Gus asked, _"what are you reading"_ That she spoke to him. Or more answered him. Her voice was different than the one he heard her use at school. It was softer, higher, less intimidating. 

After that, the two had gotten into a little routine. Amity would sit with him, he'd ask her what book she was reading and what it was about, and they'd talk about that book until Gus went back into class. It was a delicate, fragile connection at best, but Gus couldn't help but find himself craving it. All his life, he'd been trying to work out lie from truth and, if there was one thing Amity taught him, it was that maybe people aren’t so black and white. 

He didn't tell anyone about his and Amity's friendship. It felt too new, too uncertain. And he didn't really know how to describe what their relationship was. Not like he could with Luz or Willow. Luz was his best friend, someone to laugh with, someone to vent to. Willow was like his sister, slightly exasperating at times, but someone he loved more than anything. With Amity, it was different. It was something about the way she looked after him, the way she made sure he had slept, made sure he ate, even gave up her lunch sometimes if he'd forgotten his, which made it fell very… maternal. But Gus preferred not to think about that. 

He was torn from his musings By Amity's shadow crossing over as she came to sit next to him, as usual, a book under her arm. Even after her siblings moved out and stopped coming to the course, Amity still came along. Whether for him or some other reason, he couldn't be sure but, he wasn't complaining. 

"Hey, Amity." He said as she set her bag down, promptly sitting down beside it. 

"Hey Gus," she said, tightening her ponytail. Gus looked over to try and catch the book title, but it was hidden by her skirts. 

"What you reading?" he asked. She sighed, holding it up.

"Les Mis. The musical was the soundtrack to my childhood, so I thought I'd give it a read." She said sarcastically. Gus grinned. It would be just like Amity to go and read the original novel, he had been meaning to as well, but the sheer size of the thing was a tad off-putting. But his love of the musical had always kept it in his TBR. A love apparently shared by the famous twins.

"Ed and Em played it a lot, did they?" He asked. Amity groaned , a smile working its way on to her face.

"Non-stop. If I had a dollar for every time I heard Emira belt out on my own…" she trailed off, biting her lip.

"But whatever. Now that they're gone. I can actually get work done." Gus grimaced at her detached tone. While he had never really gotten to know her siblings that well, he knew enough. School renown pranksters and perfectionist straight-A student. A perfect match. 

"Still not talking to them." He asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. Amity shook her head.

"Oooooook then," Gus said, attempting to get the conversation back on track.  
"Is it good?" He asked, pointing to her novel. Amity shrugged.

"It's alright. Translations are always a tad off. And Victor Hugo goes on waaaay too many tangents." She said, flipping through the mass of pages to prove her point. Gus smiled.

"Well, tell me how it is. I might have to get myself a copy." Amity nodded, reaching into her bag and taking a sip from her water bottle.

"How was class?" she asked. Gus bit his lip, looking over at all the other kids in his class.

"It was good. Worked on improv" Amity followed his gaze, narrowing her eyes slightly at the group.

"You still enjoying it?" Gus nodded. Taking another bite of his lunch. And it wasn't a lie. He did. Acting was one interest, one hobby he had to himself. No Willow, no dad, no Luz. Besides, his mum had always loved theatre. He was enjoying himself, even if he wanted to be included a little more sometimes.

"Yeah, it's fun." Amity slid her water back into her bag and, possibly sensing a touchy subject, changed the topic.

"Good, how was that report for journalism club going." Gus grinned, glad to have a conflict-free discussion.

"It's going well, actually. And I don’t have to work with Matt, so that's always a bonus." Amity gave him a thumbs up, no doubt remembering his many rants about the arrogant leader of the club. 

"What's it about?" she asked. And so, Gus told her. And it was then that he realised why he loved Amity's company so much. She always listened. Whether that meant listing to you directly and what you had to say or simply reading your mood and acting as the situation required. She always seemed to know when to push and when not to. 

After around half an hour later, his teacher came back outside to call them in, cutting Gus off mid-sentence. And with an embarrassed smile, he started packing up his things.  
"I've got to go back in." Amity nodded, stretching her arms above her head. 

"That's fine, I'll probably be gone when you get back, so I'll see you on Monday." She said, reaching for her book, forgotten in the conversation and opening it to the bookmarked page. Gus nodded, waving goodbye as he followed to class back into the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was it. Sorry this took so long. Exams plus writers block plus the sheer length of all of this slowed things down. Hope you enjoyed, comments are appreciated, thank you for reading.


	7. Interlude {Amity and Boscha}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity liked routine. She needed routine.
> 
> Boscha liked dance. It was something she could control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two. Amity and Boscha here we go.
> 
> Again, big CW: Reference to abuse, neglect, past self-harm. As well as self-loathing, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy coping methods and some very toxic idea around power and weakness. (Really? Amity.) So again, read with care.

Amity: Routine

Amity liked routine. She liked plans. It was her way of ordering the world, her way of finding stability in something fundamentally unstable. She had always been organised, her room immaculate, even at an early age. She had ideas of how things should go, and she didn’t like it when life decided to come along and ruin them. 

Lots of things ruined her routines. Sometimes it was Boscha, wanting her opinion on something or other. Sometimes it was Skara, pulling her away from her textbooks and insuring she had some fun or, more often, got some sleep. On occasion, it _had_ been her siblings. Either by way of their pranks forcing her to rework her plan for the day or annoying her so much she couldn’t focus or had to move to the library, taking a good 15 minutes out of her day. 

Not that she had to worry about them anymore. They had left. Left their parents, left their home. _Left her._ Not that Amity cared, of course. Their relationship had always been rocky at best and downright toxic at worst. And if a small sting from their broken promises was leftover, the promise that no matter what, they would all leave together. That no one would be left alone. If it still made her wonder, _what did I do wrong?_

Left her wondering into their old rooms for some missed shirt or scented pen, knowing everything was taken with them or destroyed by their parents. Left her longing for their voices and their laughter to return and fill the manor's walls. Left her screaming _**why**_ until her throat was raw. Well, no one needed to know. Amity didn’t have time to worry about them anyway. She had bigger things to deal with. 

She knew what was expected of her, the grace and power the Blight name held. She knew the cost of failure and the price of success. 'Never show weakness' 'never let them see you bleed'. It had been drilled into her since she could remember. She knew perfection was required if she could ever even hope to earn her parents love. That, if she wanted to prove to them that she was worth something. That she wasn't a failure, their greatest disappointment. She couldn't be anything less. But she could do it. Now that Edric and Emira were… out of the picture, there was nothing to compare her to. 

And sure, their parenting methods may be slightly harsh. But Amity knew it was for her own good. That they wouldn’t act like that of it didn’t help her. She needed this. And if they _did_ go too far, it was her fault. If she wasn't such a failure, it would never happen. If she wasn't such a disappointment, they would never have to resort to that. _If she wasn't so weak, maybe they'd love her._

Amity lived in a world of greys. She _wanted_ things to be black and white. Right and wrong. That's how things should be. That's how they would be in her ideal world. But she had long ago accepted that wasn't going to happen. But that didn't mean she liked when things were grey. 

Like Boscha, mean, arrogant, annoying. The person that brought out every one of her worst traits and increased them tenfold. That validated every unhealthy idea and illogical thought she had. And yet… she had been there. _They_ had been there for each other. They didn’t like each other, but they were always there. Perhaps it was there dislike for each other that brought them so close. They didn't want to burden people they _liked_ with their problems, so they confided in each other. And sometimes it didn’t really matter who you were talking to. Not if there was no one else.

Another grey in her world was Willow, but she preferred not to think about her. After all this time, it still hurt too much. Sometimes she would get slightly nostalgic, wish and pray to go back to a simpler time. A time of sunsets and swimming lessons. Of sneaking into the library and local park swing sets. But she would quickly correct herself. She wasn't a child anymore. And neither was Willow. There was no chance whatsoever of the two ever becoming friends again. Amity had made sure of that. 

She much preferred the simpler relationships in her life. The uncomplicated ones. There was Skara, and while it wasn't necessarily her choice to be friends with her, the girl had grown on her. She liked her bubbly attitude, even if it was a tad naïve. She also liked how calm she was. Even if her passivity could lend her to being a pushover, especially were Boscha was concerned. 

But overall, Skara was simple. She was kind, generally sweet unless Boscha was next to her pulling strings. She fit the plan. Even if her brother Jason interfered with it somewhat. Not much tho. And seeing Skara so close to her older brother was always nice. And since Edric had left and she had decided being an only child was better anyway, it didn’t hurt at all. _Much._

Gus was simple as well. Obviously, there was the connection to Willow, which, by nature, complicated everything. But looking at strictly her and Gus was… calm. Their… _friendship? She wasn't sure._ Had definitely been slow to develop but well worth it. He was quick-witted and incredibly intelligent for his age leading to Amity enjoying his company greatly. 

He also reminded her of herself a little. His desperate wish to make his father proud, his tendency towards being alone (although in her case, it was voluntary). But mostly, his need for perfection. She saw the signs in him early, the perfectionist mindset, the crushing pressure, the self-criticism. She didn’t want that for him. 

One could say she had become a little protective of him. He was young and, despite his intelligence, still naïve. She knew what that need for perfection lead to. The sleepless nights, the pounding headaches, the missed meals, the slight dizziness that followed you around during exams. She didn’t want that for him. He was so bright, so free, he didn’t need to work himself to death to succeed. _That was only for the screw-ups._

And Luz… she really didn’t know where Luz fit. The girl had made far from a good first impression, helping Willow cheat in advanced math on her first day. Resulting in her top rank being removed. _Her mother and father had been far from happy._ Luz had tried to start again after officially transferring, but she had knocked down her attempts. She didn’t have time for distractions. She didn’t have the time nor energy to write Luz into her routine. Not for another shade of grey. 

And that’s what Luz would be. Another grey. She may be loud, unpredictable, reckless. But she was also talented, undeniably so. And she was kind. Amity had almost forgotten that was something people could be. But Luz had helped her, for whatever reason. When she found Amity on the floor that day, she had helped. Helped her breathe, made her calm down… hugged her. And, for some reason, Amity had let her. Probably her own weakness, but she still remembered how good it felt to be held, to be comforted, to be weak. If only for a second. Yeah, Luz was better left out of her plans. Too many chances for something to go wrong. 

The only exception to her rule of 'if you can't plan ahead for it, avoid it' was reading to the kids at the library. What at first had been away for a 12-year-old to get some extra credit was now the best part of her day. The kids were mostly loud and chaotic, and messy. And she loved them. She had been with some of them for four years and made a point to learn every one of their names. 

She knew so much about those kids, especially the ones she'd known since the beginning. She knew what kids got picked up late, which ones had ADHD, who's parents were divorced, who tried to start a fire with a piece of glass. She knew it all. Somethings she knew because they told her, kids really did overshare. But most she knew from observation. Watching the routine in other people's lives unfold. Which was why she was disappointed, if not altogether, surprised to see Braxus sitting on the library stairs on a Saturday evening. 

Leaving Luz after a… surprising session with her, she had made her way down the stairs, inwardly cursing herself for wearing a sweater as the humidity hit her. Beginning her descent, she paused, spotting Braxus sitting curled up at the base of the stairs. Amity had known Braxus for four years, being one of the first kids she read to. He had been five then, a tiny thing, and she'd had the honour of watching him grow up before her very eyes. An honour she believed the boy's mother should take more interest in 

With a sigh, Amity sat next to him. And as if by instinct, he leant his head on her shoulder. She smiled, taking hold of his hand.  
"You ok, Braxus?" she asked. Making sure to keep her tone gentle. 

"Yes, Amity," He whispered. Staring straight ahead, eye's glazed. Amity shifted to face him; her eyebrows raised in doubt. 

"What's wrong," she said point-blank. Braxus shrugged, not meeting her gaze. Amity sighed. So, it was going to be one of those conversations then.

"Ok then, new question. What are you doing here? It's getting late." Braxus shrugged, fiddling with the edge of his shirt.

"My mum was meant to pick me up, but she's… not here." Amity sighed. She figured. She had met Braxus's mother on a few occasions, all of which ended in disaster. Her usual blind respect for adults was seriously tested by the woman. Leaving him alone in the library for hours, making him catch the bus home alone. It was not the way you treated your child. 

"When was she meant to be here?" he shrugged again. Amity raised her hand to his face, gently guiding his chin up. _"When"_ she mouthed, looking him dead in the eyes.

"An hour ago." With a sharp inhale, Amity turned away, biting her lip to stop the stream of vitriol from being unleashed on to Braxus instead of his mother. Reaching out to her, Braxus put a hand on her shoulder. 

"It's ok. I was just going to take the bus home." Amity shook her head. 

"Absolutely not. I'm not letting a 9-year-old take the bus alone at." She checked her watch. " Five thirty at night." Braxus looked up at her, hope filling his expression.

"So, what? You're going to come with me again." Amity nodded, reaching into her purse. 

"Yes, I-" pulling out her wallet, she opened it. No card. It was then she remembered. She had lent it to Skara on Friday because her's was out of funds. Braxus looked at her expectantly. 

"I don't have my bus card, umm." She sat back, leaning on the step above.  
"Do you have a car? Or know anyone who does?" Braxus asked. _Ed and Em had cars._ She could call them, but… She had no time for people who had already made it very clear they didn't want her. Didn’t care. 

"I do, but… I can't call them." She trailed off. Braxus bit his lip, looking down at his shoes. 

"You know you really don’t have to come with me." He whispered. Amity sighed; they'd had this conversation many a time.

"Yes, I do." There was no question of that. The question was simply how?  
"I just..." She picked up her phone again, scrolling through her contacts, when one suddenly jumped out at her. Nudging Braxus, she gave him a smile.

"I have an idea." Clicking on Skara's contact, she waited. _Please answer, please answer, please answer, please_

"Amity! Hey." With a sigh of relief, Amity broke into a smile.

"Hey Skara, look, I need you to do me a massive favour." 

And so, it was settled. Skara's older brother Jason would come and collect them as soon as his shift at work was over. Skara had apologised for taking her card, saying it was the least she could do. Telling Braxus the news, he grinned, smiling wide enough to show his wildly uneven teeth. After a few minutes of silence, Braxus spoke up again. 

"Who couldn't you call?" Amity knew the question was coming. Braxus was a curious kid, and she loved that about him. She just didn't want to talk about Emira. 

"My sister." She answered, hoping that would satisfy. It didn’t.

"The Blond girl with the braid." He asked. Amity reached up to touch her hair as if by reflex. Running her fingers through the soft auburn.

"I think her hairs green now but yep. That's her" Whatever colour it was, it definitely wasn't blond anymore. Emira had always hated her hair. Amity guessed that was something the two had in common, even if their individual reasons for loathing couldn’t be more different. 

"Is she like your parents?" Braxus asked. Amity reached up and slowly took her ponytail out, combing her fingers through her hair in an attempt to stall. 

"No, but it's not… things are still-"

"Complicated?" He said. Amity nodded.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." Braxus turned to her. 

"Are all family's complicated?" Amity looked up, wondering how best to answer. She could see the desperation in his eyes. He was just a boy. A young boy that just wanted reinsurance that his family wasn't broken. When it became her job to answer his questions about the world, she wasn't sure but, here they were.

"To some degree." She eventually landed on. 

"What if-." Braxus stopped. Lowered his voice as if passing on a secret.  
"What if you don't like your family. Or your family doesn't feel like a family." Amity paused again. Collecting her thoughts before speaking. 

"Well, that’s the best part. Family doesn't just mean who you're related to." Braxus furrowed his brow.

"It doesn’t?" Amity shook her head.

"No. We can make our own families. We can build it. From the people we love. Even if they're not related by blood. It doesn’t mean you're not family." He paused, thinking for a moment before turning back to her.

"Explain." Amity ran a hand through her hair, choosing her words carefully. This was not a conversation she could mess up. Not that she believed what she was saying, but it was what he needed to here. 

"You don’t get to choose who you're related to. A flawed system, if you ask me, but hey, no one did. And sometimes those people… they don't know how to be a family." She put her arm around him.  
"You know most of the time they do. Or they can work it out somehow, but…. Sometimes they can't. Sometimes parents hurt their children, either accidentally or on purpose. Sometimes siblings go too far, say and do things they can’t take back. Sometimes people leave. And everything feels like it's your fault." He still looked confused.

"Then how do you choose your family?" 

"Because," she said, pulling him into her lap.  
"You _can_ choose who you let into your life. You can choose who you're around. You can find people who love and care about you in a way your 'real' family doesn't. And those people. The people you grow to love and care about? It doesn't matter if your related or not. I count that as family." She didn't family was who you were related to, and if those people sucked then to bad. But Braxus had plenty of time to learn that. She could let him pretend for a bit longer. Braxus paused.

"Does that mean you're my family?" He asked, slowly looking up at her. A mixture of hope and trepidation on his face.

"If you want me to be." He nodded.

"Because you're really special to me, Amity." Amity smiled, brushing his shaggy red hair behind his ear. 

"I am?" He nodded.

"Of course. I've known you for like 4 years. You always gave me really good books to read. And you made sure I didn't go home on the Bus by myself." He looked at the ground again. 

"I care about you, Amity." He said softly. Shifting slightly, Amity reached up to cup his cheek.

"I care about you to Braxus."

Boscha: Dance.

Boscha liked dance. She liked the rhythm, the flow, the power she felt leaping or kicking or turning. She liked that every muscle in her body was in control. How she was the master of something so great. Every flexed foot, every turnout, every pointed tow. She controlled that. She also liked the type of freedom it gave her. A freedom she could control. She decided when she danced and where. How she moved and how her body flowed. She was in control of everything around her, if only for a moment. 

The only thing she loved more was choreographing. She would stand in front of the mirror for hours, seeing the best way to extend and move in the space. The most effective way to use every count of eight to create something beautiful. She was left alone with nothing but her and the beat. And dancing something she had choreographed? The best feeling in the world.

Boscha also choreographed for another reason. In her life, she found herself stuck in little dances with people. Constant routines that, with only slight moderation, would last for years at a time. She didn't like those dances. Those were the ones she had no control over. 

There was the dance with her mum. She would work for hours, come home and watch TV, mostly ignoring her. She would go to bed early, wake up early, go to work again, repeat. It had been the same song ever since she walked in on her farther and a tall redhead one day kissing in the living room. She had told her mum when she came home, of course; she was only nine. But if she'd have known the absolute storm that was to follow, she never would have said a word. 

It was in the months that followed Boscha realised something. Her mother was in love, her father was not. And her father, while going through divorce papers and custody battles, was still strong, still powerful, still in control. He was still everything she was raised to admire and become. While her mother was a mess. A sobbing mess that either laid in bed, refusing to move or just cried, ranting to Boscha about how awful her father was. She was falling apart. She was weak, powerless. She had lost all control.

Her parents had always taught her to hold herself with dignity and pride. To only associate with those equal to her class, to always be on top. Because on top was where she belonged. Where _they_ belonged. Strength, power and control. Those were the three things she valued above all. She learned then, watching her mother fall apart in front of her eyes, that love made you weak, love made you powerless. Love made you lose control. It was at that moment that Boscha swore never to fall in love. 

The dance with her mother took on little variation. Occasionally she decided that maybe ignoring your child as a way to cope with your divorce wasn't _amazing_ parenting and got… clingy. Buying her things, wanting to hang out, wanting to meet her friends. This just annoyed Boscha more than anything. 

She knew how to cook for herself by the age of 10. Had put herself to bed and set her own alarm all through school. Had packed her own lunch and gotten her homework done with zero help from her mother. She was independent, maybe too independent for someone her age, but still, it was how it was. Boscha could see she hurt her mother with her rejection. That she genuinely felt guilty for being so distant. But Boscha didn't care. It was her mother's fault she was like this. She couldn't complain now. 

Then there was the dance she did with her dad. Much simpler, much less frustrating. He would send her a letter on her birthday or Christmas. It would be a few days late or months late. But it would always come, even if it took an angry phone call from her mother, she pretended she didn’t hear. 

He would call her occasionally; see how she was doing. It was these phone calls she craved the most. That slight warmth in his tone when he said her name, the small crack when he said goodbye. Just the fact that he was calling. It was him telling her, in his own quiet, cold way. That he loved her. She knew that, of course. She just forgot sometimes. 

There was also her dance with Skara. It was one of power, a tug of war of sorts. Skara had an almost puppy dog nature to her that Boscha found quite enjoyable. She was much more bearable then Amity. Boscha almost found herself liking Skara on occasion. But she was so…not her. So social, so aware, so… weak. Not in the same way that people like Willow and Luz were. In a more subtle way. A way Boscha could easily correct with enough force. And sure, it upset her sometimes, left her moping and clinging onto Amity for the rest of the day. But she would always bounce back. It was all part of the dance. Boscha was helping. And one day, when the curtain fell, she'd thank her. 

There was her dance with other people as well. The ones below. People like Luz and Gus. And especially Willow. It wasn't like she enjoyed their dance. But it was necessary. An unpleasant requirement. Those at the bottom need to stay there. That was how the hierarchy worked. That was what she had always been taught. What her parents, what her father, had drilled into her from day one. And maybe there was a small part of her that liked the power. That liked the control of tearing down other people. Was that so wrong? Was it so wrong to fight for what little control she had of life's dance? 

Then finally, there was. The most… confusing dance. Her dance with Amity. It was like they were both brand new to pointe, stumbling around each other, trying not to break their ankles. They had hurt each other in every way possible, takin insults way below the belt and mocked and attacked the other every second they were alone. The two were only friends in the first place because of their parents. Or, more accurately, their parents need to maintain social standing. 

They didn’t like each other. Boscha thought Amity was boring, selfish and waaaay too serious. And she was sure Amity didn’t like her any better. And yet. They still remained friends. Amity had been the only person there for her during the divorce. And she was still there for her. Through every missed birthday, through every night her mum spent out without telling her. That had been Amity. No one else. 

And she had tried to return the favour. Whenever Amity would show up at her house. Often in the middle of the night, covered in tears and red marks that would often turn to bruises the next day. (None of which she provided an answer for. And none of which she needed to.) She didn't make Amity talk about her parents or her siblings. It never ended well. She would just talk, talk about completely random things just to keep the darkness in Amity's mind at bay. 

She guessed their arrangement was one born out of necessity. Of needing someone so badly that even someone who, being completely honest, probably added more fuel to your toxic ideas more than challenged them was better than being alone. There was also that weird feeling she got around Amity. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but… she didn’t hate it. It was a giddy, rushing kind of feeling. A terrifying roller-coaster of panic and hope.

It wasn't a crush. Boscha was sure of that. Sure, Amity was pretty and ok. Maybe Boscha had caught herself staring into her eye's for a tad longer than was strictly required. But Boscha was straight. There was nothing wrong with being gay; she just… wasn't. She had only kissed a girl once. At her own Halloween party the previous year. She and Amity in spin the bottle. She doubted Amity even remembered, being that was also the only time Amity had ever been drunk. 

But Boscha did. Amity had tasted like liquor and chocolate and the strawberry gum she made sure to chew at parties. She had smelt like vanilla shampoo and the most divine perfume. Boscha didn’t know what it meant that she remembered it so clearly. Just that she like to ignore it. It wasn't part of the dance. It wasn't something she could control. 

What was part of the dance was Amity coming to her house at three AM Sunday night. Her hair a mess, tear tracks marring her cheeks, looking at her with wide, pleading eyes. 

"Hey," she whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear. She was shaking.

"So, we're doing this again?" She sighed. Amity looked at the ground.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Amity whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. Boscha sighed again, stepping aside. 

"You know the answer." She said, walking into the kitchen. Amity followed her, making a beeline for the living room. Boscha got two glasses of water. Pausing at the freezer, she called out to Amity. 

"Ice or no ice?" 

"No Ice." Came Amity's whispered reply, almost too quiet to hear. Boscha gritted her teeth. While relieved tonight was a good night, she still didn’t like this part. She felt so out of control when Amity was like this. So quiet, so unresponsive. It just added to her confusion around Amity's parents. She knew their general values were right. To value strength, power and control above all else. But how they treated Amity was just… too much. 

Walking back into the living room, she saw Amity curled up on the couch, the knitted black blanket she always used wrapped around her. Staring glassy-eyed at the TV screen. Sitting down on the other end of the couch, she handed Amity a glass of water. With a small nod, she accepted.

They sat in silence for a moment, Amity slowly sipping her water, an occasional tear escaping before she roughly brushed It away. Boscha studied her, wondering how best to proceed. 

"I'm guessing you're not going to tell me anything," Boscha said, downing her water in one. Amity shook her head, staring blankly forward. She was getting trapped in her head again, never a good thing. Boscha looked at her arms. The sleave of her sweater had ridden up, showing the tell tail markings of nails dug into flesh. 

"You should cut your nails," she said. Amity didn't move. Boscha frowned. 

"Unless that was on purpose." Amity turned to glare at her. 

"You know I don't do that anymore." Boscha had to fight a groan, she didn’t want to have this conversation, but at least she was talking. And Amity saying anything, hell, even Amity screaming at her was better than silences when she was like this. 

"Just checking. I mean, it was Ed and Em that helped you stop." Amity cut in the second she'd finished speaking. Annoyance seeping into her tone. 

"Edric and Emira have nothing to do with my recovery or relapse." Boscha rolled her eyes. 

"Wasn't saying they did. I'm saying the people you relied on left you high and dry, and you don't know how to cope." Amity glared at her.

"I am fine." She yelled. Boscha just raised her eyebrows. Amity sighed, falling back into the couch.

"I just… It's just, when I lose control, the pain… grounds me." _Lose control_. That was a nice way to put it. Boscha had seen Amity quote 'lose control'. Panic attacks, meltdowns. Clawing at herself and pulling at her hair. It wasn't something she liked to remember. 

"Well, that's healthy." They sat in silence. Amity pulling at the threads of the blanket and Boscha trying to fill the quiet. That was really all she could do at this point in the dance. Makes sure Amity didn’t sit in her own mind. 

"You want me to talk or just silence?" She asked.

"Talk, please I just, I need a distraction." Boscha shrugged.

"Works for me." 

And so Boscha talked. About everything and nothing. About the volleyball team, about her latest fight with Skara, about school and homework, about her mother and her part-time job she hated. Amity didn’t say anything, didn’t interrupt or comment. Barely even looked at her. But Boscha expected that. It wasn't anything out of the normal. As long as there wasn't silence, she was good. 

It was only when she started talking about Willow that Amity reacted, pursing her lips and digging her nails into her palms. Boscha sighed.

"What's the problem now." Amity bit her lip.

"I told you to stop talking like that." Boscha had to fight a groan. They had indeed had this conversation many times, and every time they came to the same conclusion.

"And I told you it's not going to happen. There's a hierarchy in life. It's up to the people at the top. Us. To keep the people below us, below us." 

"They're not doing anything!" Boscha raised her eyebrows.

"You're talking about Willow, aren’t you." Amity sighed, raking her hair through her hands.

"Yes. Boscha, you know I don’t like it when you act like that." She exclaimed. 

"And you know that I will anyway. Amity. Weakness warrants punishment. You should know that better than anyone." Amity froze her eye's widening. Boscha regretted the words the second they left her mouth. Her guilt doubling as, when she reached out her hand Amity flinched away from her.

"Ams I didn’t mean-"

"No, it's fine." Amity cut her off."  
"Your right. Weakness requires punishment. You'd think I'd have learned that by now." she said, her voice trailing to a whisper at the end. Boscha bit her lip. 

"Look, Amity," she started,  
"you know I agree with some of what your parents say, but. You know I don’t like how they treat you, right? They go too far. Whatever they say that leaves you like this is just…" Amity shook her head.

"No, you were right. I deserve it." Boscha nodded. She knew it was no use. Amity could get very stubborn. She should probably try a little harder, stop Amity's self-loathing before it got too bad but, what was the point. She wouldn't listen. 

"Whatever." She said in reply. Amity set her glass down on the side table. Reaching for her phone, Boscha checked the time. Three thirty AM. 

"You want a shower?" Amity nodded silently. And now she was quiet again, great. Boscha stood, extending her hand to Amity.

"I’ll leave some clothes out for you." 

"Thank you again." She whispered, walking down the corridor. Boscha walked into her bedroom, grabbing some of Amity's clothes. She swore half her wardrobe was here by now. After setting them in the spare room, she just waited, sitting on her phone until she heard the water turn off. Walking into the kitchen again, she quickly made some toast. She didn’t know if Amity would be hungry, but she may as well. 

Knocking gently on the door, she received no answer, so she simply walked in. Amity was already asleep, the bedside light left on. Walking over, she switched off the light, taking one last look at Amity. She looked sweet in sleep, less stressed. Turning to leave, she stopped in the doorway.

"Night Amity." She whispered. The curtains closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was… a lot. This was mostly set up for how different characters will progress and just to establish history and stuff like that. While Luz is the main character and it will still mostly be from her point of view I will add scenes from different POV's. Next chapter Will be Eda and King and me getting to the point. You know the drill. Hope you enjoyed, comments are appreciated, thank you for reading.


	8. Opening Rifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz, feeling guilty about her mother goes to Eda. It helps in the wrong ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been gone for a while…again. But you finally meet Eda.....so there's that. More notes at the end.

Walking up to the café Sunday afternoon Luz was already out of it. She had spent the whole night in her own head. Overthinking everything. From Amity and their study session, to what on earth she was going to tell Willow, to the lies she had told her mum when she got home. 

She was also trying to make sense of the sight that had greeted her as she exited the library the day before. Amity sitting with a kid. Talking to a kid. A boy around seven or eight, with a wild main of red hair and, from what she'd heard, the deepest voice she could imagine for someone that young. 

He also seemed to know Amity. Leaning his head on her shoulder, hugging her, holding her hand. And more surprisingly, Amity had _let him_. Amity Blight and kids were two things that just didn’t go together. It was like a slab of ice hugging the sun. It didn’t happen. Or she thought it didn't but then again. When had she ever been right about Amity? 

With a sigh, she pushed all thoughts of Amity out of her head. She was here to work. Opening the door to the café, she breathed in the divine smell of fresh coffee. It was a lovely place. In the middle of the urban village near Hexside. With big open windows. Soft, comfortable chairs and cushions. With a homey wooden theme running throughout as well as very effective air conditioning, it was no surprise it was one of the most popular hangout spots for the older students. 

Luz had grown to love the café, despite her original hesitations, and it had now become a kind of sanctuary. A place to escape. She had also grown incredibly close with the owner Eda. She had started working there when things with her mum had been at their worst and Eda had, in a sense, taken her under her wing. Guided her. 

And even after things with Camila had improved, their relationship had done nothing but grow. And now she was one of the only people Luz could really talk to. She loved Willow and Gus and her mum, but… they were so there. So present. It was nice having an objective outsider. Someone removed from the conflict. 

Walking past the handful of customers soaking up the afternoon sun from their spots by the window, she made her way to the back. Slowing her pace at the strange clanging noise exiting from the room.

"Eda." She called, finding the backroom empty. Peering into the kitchen, she could only see one or two of her fellow employs but no Eda insight. 

"I'm back here, kid." Yelled a voice from the back office. Luz followed, opening the door. Inside she was met with the sight of some alien machine buzzing and pumping in the corner while Eda sat calmly at her desk, supremely unbothered. 

"I'm…. not even going to ask," Luz said, stepping further inside. Eda looked up from her papers and as if just remembering the thing was there, looked at Luz again. 

"Good idea." Luz looked around, trying to find any sign of King. A kid that spent an alarming amount of time there. He lived in the block of apartments a street down and had made the owl café his second home. They also had no idea what his real name was. 'King' being the only answer he would provide. 

"Kings round the back, if you were wondering. Trying some doll magic thing." Eda said, correctly guessing the reason for Luz's examination of the room. Luz nodded. 

"Is he trying to bring toys to life again?" She asked. Eda shrugged. 

"Who the hell knows what that kid dose?" Luz guessed she made a good point. She loved King, but he was… a lot.

"Where do you want me today?" She asked. Eda paused as if deciding something before looking Luz up and down. She knew she must look a mess given how little sleep she had gotten last night.

"At the counter," Eda said, apparently making up her mind. "I got plenty of other people to waitress today. You take a break. Looks like you need it." Luz smiled. She knew some people hated working the counter, but she loved it. Plus, she doubted she had the capacity to waitress today. 

"Thanks." She said. Eda nodded, looking back down at her papers. Luz took that as her cue to go but, before she could leave, she paused. "Can we…talk after?" She asked. Looking to the ground. Eda's face softened.

"Of course. Just do what I pay you to, and I'm all yours." She said. Luz smiled, walking over to the counter. 

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

Luz spent most of her shift in her own head and, with nothing really to distract her, she kept coming back to her mum. She knew it was silly to feel so guilty. It was a tiny lie, nothing half the kids in her class hadn't said but, she did. It wasn't the lie itself. It was the very act of lying at all. Luz had spent all of primary and half of middle school lying to her mum. Not telling her about the kids bullying her, hadn’t told her she was having trouble with the work, hadn’t told her anything.

Her mum had been trying her best, and Luz had pulled away. There had been a rift between them that had led to horrible misunderstandings and long, drawn-out fights. Luz had been miserable, and Camila had no idea what to do. All of it culminating when, what Luz called, the 'camp' situation happened. When one of her book reports had gotten… out of hand, and she had been called into the principal's office again, it was the last straw for the school. Her principal had recommended her mum 'reality check summer camp', and Camila, not really knowing what else to do, had agreed. 

Luz had wanted to go along with it. To comply and make things easier, but… she just couldn't. This was her creativity, her identity. She knew her mum was doing what she thought was best, but Luz also knew if she didn’t say anything and she went to that camp, she would always resent her mother. And she would never allow that to happen. She loved her too much.

The fight that followed was long and painful, and something Luz never wanted to go through again. But she had told the truth. She had opened up and told her mum everything she had been bottling up. She had told her about Clara, about Ben and Jessy, about everyone. She had told her how hard school was. That the teachers hated her, that the work was just… to hard. And her mum had opened up to her. About how she felt like she couldn’t reach her. About how she felt like she was failing as a mother. They had talked for hours, hugging and crying until eventually, they had made some decisions. 

Luz telling her mum the truth was the whole reason she was at Hexside. Why she had met Eda. Why she was now friends with Gus and Willow. Lying had done nothing but open a rift between them that had taken years to mend. So now, even a lie so small turned Luz's stomach. There was also the fact that she and Eda had gotten closer recently. A few times, she had even slipped up and called her 'mum' by accident, and every time she felt hot shame bubbling up in her. 

Regardless, she needed to talk to someone about her mum. Gus was a no. She always felt guilty talking about her mother in front of him. Why should he care about their communication issues when his mum was gone? She knew he felt the same about his father, which was probably why Luz never heard about him. And Willow wasn't really an option either. Willow had never really lied to her parents or kept things from them. They had their own issues, of course, but she just wouldn't understand. So, while talking to Eda about her mum probably wasn't the wisest move. It was her only real option. 

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

When her shift ended, Luz waited in the backroom for Eda to close the shop. Texting Gus about some new story he wanted to look into while she waited. A while later, Eda came in, untying her apron and throwing it on the back of a chair before she sat down, haphazardly tying her hair up. The back room was, in a word, a mess. It's clutter only outmatched by the utter chaos of papers that was Eda's study. Giving her a second to breathe, Luz spoke up.

"Can we talk now?" She asked, slipping her phone into her bag. Eda nodded, leaning forward. 

"Sure. What's got you so stressed out." Luz bit her lip. She wanted advice, but she didn’t want to say it was about her mum. Or anything about Amity and tutoring. Choosing her words carefully, she began. 

"Say you told a lie to someone you care about. And it's a small lie, but you know it can easily turn into a bigger one and… you don’t want to hurt them." Luz looked at the ground. 

"How big are we talking? Like 'no, _I_ didn’t come at night and pound your car with a baseball bat. It was your _other_ ex.' Or more like 'What? You think I would steal that neckless. You really think I'd do something so _horrible. >em>"  
Luz smiled despite herself. That was another reason she wanted to talk to Eda. She never let things get too heavy. _

_"I'm serious." She said, stifling a laugh._

_"And so am I.," Eda said, grinning. Luz's smile faded slowly._

_"But really, what do you do?" Eda sighed. Shifting her chair closer to Luz._

_"Look, you’re a good kid. Whatever lie it was, I'm sure you had your reasons. And as long as things don't get out of control, you'll be fine. You're only in trouble when you start to get a web. When lies grow off each other." Luz frowned. She knew Eda wasn't exactly your average adult, but… this seemed strange even for her._

_"So, lying is ok?" She asked. She could see Eda suppressing the joke that came to her, trying to genuinely answer the question._

_"Never said that. I'm saying…" She paused. "Trust your judgment. If you think you need to tell the truth tell it. If you think you might be stressing over nothing and it won’t affect anything, don't bother." Luz looked Eda straight in the eye's_

_"What if I don't know?" She begged. She didn’t. She needed answers or at least a way to find them. Eda smiled at her sadly._

_"Who said you had to work it out today? Shit kid. It's taken me forty plus years to work out honesty, and you think you'll have it all figured out at 15?"_

_"16." Luz corrected._

_"Same difference." Eda smiled. "Trust yourself. Luz, you'll be ok." She said, getting up and walking to the door. "And get home. It's getting dark." She said, ruffling up Luz's hair as she passed. Luz nodded, standing up as well._

_"I will. I just want to say hi to King."_

_"He's outside, round the back," Eda said, walking into her office. The machine still clanging._

_"Ok." She said, walking down the corridor towards the back exit._ _******************************************************************************************************************************************************_

_Walking to King, Luz thought about what Eda said. Maybe she didn’t need to have everything worked out so soon. Gus was right. They were still children. They had their whole lives to work this stuff out. Still, she didn’t have an answer on what to do about her mum. For now, her only plan was not telling her she failed, hope Miss Walker didn't bring it up and not lie anymore. Which, while _far_ from ideal, was better than nothing. _

_Flicking on the backlight, she walked over to King, who, just as she thought, was surrounded by a small army of plush toys. His shaggy black hair reflected the harsh artificial light, and the shadows of the trees fell across him. He looked to be drawing something if the coloured pencils lying abandoned beside him was anything to go by._

_"Hey, King." She said, coming to sit down on the cold concrete beside him. He looked up at her voice and, abandoning the drawing he was working on, through his arms around her._

_"Luz!" he yelled. She laughed, hugging him back._

_"Hey, I was just saying goodbye, but..." She paused, looking over his shoulder at the thing he had been drawing. It looked to be little more than random shapes. "what are you doing?" He pulled away. Picking up the paper and holding it proudly._

_"I'm creating a flag for my army of terror." Luz had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She loved King from the bottom of her heart, but sometimes he was just too cute._

_"I see." She said, suddenly getting an idea. "Do you want help designing a noble emblem for your horrifying monsters?" Kings' eye's widened._

_"You would do that?" He asked, his voice incredulous. Luz's smile fell slightly. It was times like this that reminded her of who King really was. Behind all the bluster and arrogance, he was just a kid. Lonely and desperate for something to latch onto._

_"Of course. I'll have some sample designs next time I come." She said, her voice softening. He smiled at her before schooling his features into passivity._

_"Good. I expect no less." With a laugh, Luz checked the time. 7:00 PM. She should head home._

_"Goodbye, King." She said, standing up to leave._

_"Bye." He said, going back to his drawing. Exiting the side alley and heading into the shop's light, Luz stopped by the door to Eda's office._

_"Bye Eda." She said. Eda, head berried in papers, waved her off._

_"See you, kid."_

_******************************************************************************************************************************************************_

_Coming to sit at the empty bus stop, Luz leaned her head against the pole's cool metal. She was exhausted already, and Monday hadn't even started. She just needed some time. Some time to think, some time to breathe. To make decisions that wouldn't hurt anyone. Suddenly she felt a buzzing coming from her bag and pulling out her phone, she saw a call from Willow. Pressing answer, she waited for the connection to work._

_"Hey." She said, sitting up straight._

_"Hey, sorry I meant to call you yesterday, but I totally spaced." Came Willow's slightly muffled reply._

_"No problem, I was kind of tired anyway." She said, reaching up to massage her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on._

_"How was it with Amity? Was she horrible?" Willow asked, her voice clearer. Luz fort a groan. This was the exact topic she wanted to avoid. Deliberating on how to answer, she eventually landed on something neutral._

_"It was… weird." Luz could just imagine Willows confused expression._

_"Weird? Weird how." _Willow couldn't get mad at her for saying Amity was a good tutor, right? Well, Willow wouldn't get mad at her full stop but still…__

_"She was actually kind of helpful." A pause, Luz held her breath._

_"Really?" Willow said quietly. Luz bit her lip, trying to think of a way to change the subject. Suddenly she thought of it._

_"Yeah. And get this. When I was leaving, I saw her sitting on the steps with this kid. He was eight or nine, and he was like hugging her. It was like they knew each other." Willow gasped, completely distracted from her earlier spiral._

_"No. Amity and kids?" _Nice save, Luz.__

_"I know. It was bizarre." She said, standing up to see if her bus was in sight yet._

_"But that's like imagining you shooting at a butterfly. It doesn't work." Luz smiled at the comparison. Opting to stay standing as opposed to sitting down again._

_"But that's what happened. I don't think she saw me." Willow let out a laugh._

_"Learn something new every day." She said. Luz smiled. That hadn't been so bad. She really had to stop stressing over things so much._

_"So, what did you do yesterday?" she asked. Willow gasped again, but this one out of joy instead of surprise._

_"Oh, right, I meant to tell you. My parents took me to that new museum exhibit." Luz smiled. Willow had been going on about the new exhibit for weeks._

_"That's great! I know you wanted to see that." Luz herd one of Willow's dads call something in the background before Willow yelled back something unintelligible. On her end, Luz caught sight of her bus coming round the corner, and, after waiting for Willow and her dad to finish their conversation, she spoke._

_"My bus is coming. I'll see you tomorrow."_

_"Sorry about that. And yes. See you." She said, hanging up._

_Luz took her bus card out of her phone case before slipping it back into her bag. She waited for the bus to come to a standstill, its doors opening before stepping closer to the rode. She tapped her card, thanking the bus driver and taking a seat around mid-way down. Closing her eye's, she leant her head against the window, fighting the haze of exhaustion coming over her. _She would be fine. Everything would be fine._ How many times would she have to tell herself that before it became true?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You made it. Next chapter will be out soon, and I actually mean that this time. I've been quite sick recently and exams are coming up so that's always fun. 
> 
> Also, I reached 100 Kudos since uploading last which… wow. Wasn't expecting that. I mostly started this a stress relief thing and as a way to try my had and writing charters for a show I love. The fact that people actually read and engage with it so much was completely unexpected so thank you. I know it's not a lot to some, but I really didn’t expect anyone to care so that fact that really anyone dose is amazing to me.
> 
> Next chapter is more set up for chapter 10 but that chapters big. Like, that girls work out communication big. Will that last? Absolutely not, but we take what we can get. As per usual sorry for spelling and grammar, comments appreciated, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> You did it! Also sorry for any mistakes, dyslexia for a writer is..... not fun. I'll try and post regularly but I'm quite busy and again don't worry the chapters will be longer than this one because I just could not get into it. idk why but hey. Also I am abhorrent at Spanish so when I include some it will be goggle translate, I'm sorry in advanced. Also if you like my writing fell free to cheek out my other fic, which I am much happier with just putting that out there. Anyway thanks for reading.


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